Does anyone know what the reason was for changing this rule? I mean, was abstaining from meat every Friday really such a problem?
It wasn’t for our family - except that my mother did not know how to cook either fish or spaghetti and generally, she was a good cook.
As a student of English medieval history, in the 15th century, there were 180 non-meat days (which may have included eggs). Which is why our medieval friends were quite healthy with good teeth (add in no sugar)!
The idea of no longer requiring meatless Fridays was that you could choose your own thing to do that reminded you of the suffering of Christ on the cross. You could refrain from meat, or you could do something like give alms to the poor, help someone, pray, or something else that you had to think about. The problem was/is, many people remembered they didn’t have to fast, and forgot to do anything as a substitute.
Nothing has changed! 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.
IMHO, with the expansion of travel, be it for personal or business, more and more Catholics found themselves in situations where the only menu choice was meat. The Church, acknowledging that her children were now adults, lovingly provided them with alternative choices, without abandoning the principle reason for the discipline. Unfortunately, most Catholics learned about this via the msm which did not handle it properly. They were quick to report that "Catholics can now eat meat on Fridays!" but failed to communicate the purpose for the discipline or the fact that it had not been abandoned. I was quite young at the time and still recall hearing the news on tv. I don't recall any attempt by the Church to clarify this but then, I was a child and did not read the diocesan newspaper or pay much attention to announcements at mass.