[siunevada]

Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is still the norm for adults. And abstaining from meat on Fridays is still the primary form of penance on Fridays:

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Yep, I'm aware of that.

[HIDEK6]

Fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is still the norm for adults. And abstaining from meat on Fridays is still the primary form of penance on Fridays:

The point is that "back in the day" you went to hell if you ate meat on any Friday and didn't fast and abstain on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

You didn't get a choice about it, it was a church law.

Your voluntary penance had to be something in addition to that.