Catholics: Do you eat meat on Fridays?

Answer 1

The "no meat" rule for Friday was relaxed many years ago. Instead of abstaining from meat, we can now perform other acts of penance instead. The only time that we're required to abstain from meat is on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays in Lent. Everyone over the age of 14 is expected to abstain from meat on those days.

Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are also days of fast, as well as abstinence. Everyone between the ages of 18 and 59 are expected to fast, which means we can only have one full meal, plus two smaller meals that cannot equal one full meal together. Invalids, pregnant women, and nursing mothers are exempt, as is anyone whose health or occupation does not permit them to fast.

Answer 2

Catholic Christians are to astain from eating red meats and fowl on Fridays during Lent (the 40 days leading up to Easter). They are allowed to eat fish.

During the Lenten season Catholic Christians are to remember the great sacrific made by Jesus Christ for them by making some small sacrifice. Generally, this means giving up extravagances. The money then saved by not purchasing extravagances is then donated to charity.

At the time this practice first became popular, red meat was expensive. There was no refrigeration back then and when an animal was slaughtered it had to be completely consumed within a day or so. This is why animals were generally slaughtered as part of a feast. Fish, on the other hand, was a common and cheap food. This is why Catholic Christians were asked to give up red meat and fowl but not fish.

To keep in the spirit of the concept contemporary Catholic Christians would have to give up lobster, crab, and other expensive fish on Friday since these are now considered extravagant.

Answer 3

Only on Fridays in Lent (the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter). This rule also applies during Ash Wednesday, and some people also follow it on the first Friday of every month, hence the "First Friday Fish Fry" that some churches do. And for those who wonder why fish isn't considered a meat during this time, it's because the rule only applies to land animals.

Answer 4

This is very old school. My parents were strong Catholics and I remember eating fish on Fridays as a child. Nowadays, priests are much more relaxed about this. As an teacher in a Catholic school at no time is it mentioned anywhere in the religion curriculum that Catholics are not allowed to eat meat on Fridays.

Answer 5

All catholics are allowed to eat meat on Fridays and have been allowed to do so for at least the last decade. I remember when I grew up I hated Fridays because I never liked fish and we had a lot of Swordfish and tuna fish on Fridays. Even for lunch I had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

The church has modernized and relaxed those restrictions. Mainly because a lot of catholics were starting to ignore the restriction.

Answer 6

They are asked to abstain but they may eat meat as long as they do another form of Penance or in some way honor the significance of the day

During Lent though they must abstain from meat

Answer 7

No I dont eat meat on Fridays (or fish I dont do seafood yuck). I also give up meat certain days during the week also. I fast for different reasons during the week

Answer 8

Not during Lent. My mother and grandparents refused to eat meat during any Friday, ever, but I'll admit that I sometimes do, if it's not during the Lenten season.

Answer 9

Yes, except for a six-week long abstinence during Lent.

Answer 10

No, I'm a vegetarian (thats only for lent though right?)