Friday, November 16, 2012

Meatless Fridays to be restored?


At the recent Bishops' gathering, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said,

"The work of our Conference during the coming year includes reflections on re-embracing Friday as a particular day of penance, including the possible re-institution of abstinence on all Fridays of the year, not just during Lent." 

Now my understanding is that while the bishops earlier relaxed the rules about not eating meat on Fridays, it was with the idea that Catholics would substitute some other penitential practice. The last part of that got lost in the shuffle, though, and Catholics for the most part ate meat - and did nothing to replace abstinence.

I'm guilty of not doing anything else, I have to admit. Of course, I've also been a vegetarian for many years.

So if they bring back abstinence, what should vegetarians like me do?

Maybe coffee would be a worthy thing to sacrifice!

Pax et bonum

1 comment:

Barb Szyszkiewicz said...

I like the idea of bringing back meatless Fridays. I'm not the best at following that discipline myself but I think it's a good thing to do. You're right, "other penance" has been lost in the shuffle.