What about fasting & abstinence?

Catholics today are sometimes confused about what fasting and abstinence are.  So I thought that this would be a good time to sort of define it all!

In the Latin Church, abstinence means refraining from eating the meat from mammals or fowl, and soup or gravy made from them. Fish is allowed, hence Fridays are known as "Fish Fridays." Traditionally, the laws of abstinence apply to all aged 7 and over, but the new Code of Canon Law applies it to all who have completed their 14th year.

Fasting is the taking of only one full meal (which may include meat as long as abstinence is not expected) and two smaller, meatless meals that don't equal the large one meal. No eating between meals is allowed, but water, milk tea, cofee, and juices are OK. Meat is allowed at one meal (assuming abstience isn't also expected on a given day). Traditionally, everyone over 21 years of age and under 59 years of age is bound to observe the law of fast; but the present Code of Canon Law sets the ages of 18 and 59 as the limits.

Days of penance and/or abstinence:  Fridays of the year are traditionaly days of penance & abstinence (see Can. 1251 below), but it is up to the local bishop as to whether or not the faithful of his diocese must abstain from meat. Here in the Diocese of Memphis, we are NOT required to abstain from meat on every Friday of the year, but we ARE required to abstain on the Fridays of Lent:

The following is from the 1983 Code of Canon Law regarding fasting & abstinence as well as the requirements for days of penance.

• Can. 1249 All Christ's faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe.

• Can. 1250 The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

• Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

• Can. 1252 The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.
  

I hope these few notes & definitions help anyone who might be confused on the obligations of the faithful in the Church today during Lent.

 

-Kristy

   

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J.M.J.