Grave sin to eat Beef on Lenten Friday?

Question

I know catholics are supposed to eat FISH on friday. But what if they ate a hamburger? Grave Sin or Venial?

Answer 1

Venial sin and a stupid one at that.

Answer 2

Good question. Depends.

First off I'll start off with boring Canon Law;

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

Now please understand that those who need to be excused from the obligations of fasting and abstaining for medical reasons (pregnancy, the demands of extraordinarily hard labor, hypoglycemia, etc.) should speak with their priests for a dispensation. True charity trumps all law, and law exists to serve true charity.

Note that Canon 1250 says EVERY Friday no meat unless your Bishop says otherwise. Frankly I don't know alot of Catholics that call up their Bishop to ask them or even think to ask their priest, do you?? If you don't know what your Bishop said as far as allowing meat on Friday...it's venial because you were ignorant...though that isn't a great excuse as we're to know it's there.

Now to the kernel of your question; according to the 19833 Code of Canon Law eating meat on Friday in those regions where the bishops have not dispensed, is mortal or at least a grave sin, THIS IS WITH KNOWLEDGE. I mean if you forget it's Lenten Friday or any Friday and you order a hamburger and Mickey D's and ate it, it wouldn't constitute a grave sin but a venial sin, that is because the knowledge and intent was not there.

Common sense (and traditional practice) says those who live in non-Catholic families are normally permitted to eat meat at the principal meal, if it is impossible to abstain from it during that meal without serious discomfort. (One is not obliged to prepare a separate meal e.g. when your family has macaroni.) We presume at least this to have been reinforced or remained in force virtually.

Answer 3

Most Catholics think that Vatican II did away with the requirement of not eating meat on any Friday of the year. Most think it is now just Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent that we cannot eat meat.

This is what the new Code of Canon Law brought out in 1983 says about the matter:

Canon 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.

Canon Law still requires that Catholics not eat meat on Fridays!

Of course, most Episcopal Conferences have determined that, instead of abstaining from meat, Catholics may perform an act of penance of their choosing. But, do you ever remember to abstain from a particular food or do some other penance on Fridays? And, at any rate, the main rule is still to abstain from meat on Fridays, the performance of another penance instead is an optional alternative.

Answer 4

If you honestly forget that today is Friday and that you are supposed to abstain from meat and eat a hamburger, then there is no foul.

If you purposely defy the Church and eat meat on Friday, then you are defying the leaders that God gave to the Church. When you disobey the Church, you disobey God and you commit a sin.

Answer 5

Believe it or not the whole eating fish on Friday came about because Italys fishing industry was going downhill and the pope made this law to give the fishing economy a boost.

Answer 6

Catholics have been able to eat meat on Fridays for years now although some of the older ones tend not to.

Answer 7

Jesus says ALL FOOD is clean...always...