I’m sorry, I live in England now. And I REFUSE abstinence on a Friday. [Unless in Lent.] It should be ONE RULE for EVERYONE. Not “the Mexicans get a pass because they are Spanish.” The Spanish speaking countries always got a total pass on this because the spanish won some battle against infidels zillions of years ago.
I was furious when I found out that some poor Appalachian was going to hell for eating a hot dog (well, okay, that’s what the nuns made it sound like) while some lard butt rich Mexican ranchero was free to chow down on all the steak he liked. ONE rule for everyone.
Apparently, under the “Abstinence” rule, I can go out to dinner at Red Lobster, have a shrimp-cocktail appetizer, a lobster-and-king-crab dinner with a nice glass of wine, and chocolate cake dessert, and be in a state of grace.
Stay home and eat beans-and-franks, I’m a sinner.