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Abstinence and Fasting |
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BASIC R.C. BELIEF
By observing the fasting and abstinence laws of the Church, a Roman Catholic can do penance for his sins. On fast days only one full meal is allowed (with meat on most days), and two other meatless meals (together to equal one full meal) may be taken. On days of complete abstinence, meat or meat soup or gravy may not be used at all. On days of partial abstinence, they may be taken at one meal. Before Holy Communion, it used to be necessary to fast from midnight. This fast could have been broken by brushing ones teeth. AN EXPLANATION OF THE BALTIMORE CATECHISM, page 338, gives a helpful clarification between fasting and abstinence. "On a fast-day, therefore, you have to look both to the quantity and the kind of food, while on a day of abstinence - as Friday - you have to look only to the kind, and may take as much as you please of anything but flesh meat." Abstinence = no flesh meat, but as much of anything else as you like. Fasting = one full meal of anything plus two small meatless meals. THE EXTERNALS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, page 195, says, "The Catholic Church took the practice of fasting from the law of the Old Testament, and has modified and adapted it to the necessities of her children."
POST VATICAN II The fast and abstinence laws have always been subject to revision, and have been greatly relaxed. The pre-Communion fast is now only one hour, and mandatory Friday meatless days have also been removed. In the United States, abstinence is obligatory only on Fridays of Lent and Ash Wednesday. In November 1997, it was reported that the National Conference of Bishops pro-life committee proposed reinstating meatless Fridays. They thought this would present a Catholic testimony against abortion . Cardinal Law from Boston would have no problem - he likes fish. Cardinal Maida from Detroit said some people would not go to fish; they would prefer a bread and water fast (which also was suggested by Mary at Medjugorje). Archbishop Francis George from Chicago favored the idea, but admitted he doesn't observe it faithfully today.
CATHOLIC JOURNALS From CATHOLIC ANSWER, Sept/Oct 1990, page 21. "One final comment on Friday abstinence: Church law still maintains Friday as a day of penance. If a person chooses not to abstain from meat, he or she must perform an alternative penance."
CHRISTIAN COMMENT Jesus forbade publicized fasting (Matthew 6:16-18), which would include any fast that is regulated by a church authority and imposed on all. See also I Timothy 4:3 ("meats" means any kind of food). |