[Petrosius]

That is also the current practice in the East where married Priests are required to fast from all things for the designated fasting period prior to celebrating the Eucharist, including sexual relations with their wives.

Interesting. In the Latin rite this would mandate complete abstinence since we have the practice of daily Mass. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the Orthodox do not. Perhaps this is the reason for our difference concerning this matter.

[wideawake]

The preferred Orthodox practice is to have only one Mass per week, during the daytime on Sunday.

Not every Orthodox congregation insists upon it, but it is the general rule.

Perhaps this is the reason for our difference concerning this matter.

I'm going to say no, since I believe daily Mass began as a monastic practice in communities that were already celibate prior to the daily Eucharist.

Daily Mass did not become common among the laity until a few centuries later, when the intentionally isolated monastic communities became surrounded by newly developed towns and villages.

[ThomasMore]

Interesting. In the Latin rite this would mandate complete abstinence since we have the practice of daily Mass

Wrong! That's why God made the afternoon! :^)

[Kolokotronis]

"In the Latin rite this would mandate complete abstinence since we have the practice of daily Mass. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe that the Orthodox do not."

As a geeral proposition, we don't have daily Divine Liturgies. We do on major feasts, however, have non-Sunday Divine Liturgies. Our weekly liturgical practice centers more around compline and vespers on weekdays for most of the year and then of course during Great Lent we will have Paraklesis and Akathists sung along with vespers and Great Vespers.

" Perhaps this is the reason for our difference concerning this matter."

My gut tells me no. I think its simply that different disciplines developed in different places. Fasting rules are a good example of this. We are rather strict about fasting, really what you call abstaining, during Great Lent and even during the other three extended fasting periods in the year. We also fast completely from food and drink for at least 12 hours before communion (and sexual relations to put a fine point on it) and are expected to have abstained on both the Friday and Wednesday before (as we are expected to do every week except Bright Week). regular confession is also expected and of course one cannot be living in sin with another person or pursuing a life style contrary to the teachings of The Church. As I understand it, these practices either were never part of the Roman discipline or have gradually been reduced