Indult Scorecard, Round Three (Updated List of Dioceses & Corned Beef Friday)

WITL ^ | March 4, 2006 | Rocco Palmo

[NYer]

The responses just keep pouring in. All thanks to everyone for being so kind and helpful....

As the list is growing long, I'm just going to name the precincts which are reporting, and whatever conditions have been placed upon the respective indults (and if you're late to the party, you can find Round One and Round Two at the links).

The Corned Beef Indult for the Traditional Celebration of St. Paddy's Day has been conceded in the (arch)dioceses of:

• Springfield in Illinois -- provided "one other day is observed as a day of abstinence in its place."
• Jefferson City -- with a "[reminder] to do some extra work of penance or charity in place of abstaining from meat on St. Patrick's Day."
• Orlando -- with the choice of one of three mandatory alternatives for those who indult: "perform some other penitential act; perform an act of charity; abstain from meat on another day... as soon as possible."
• Orange -- those who indult must abstain on another day of that week.
• Kansas City in Kansas -- those who indult "asked" to abstain on another day of that week.
• Portland in Oregon -- pure dispensation, no strings attached.... Release also notes that "The Archdiocesan Lenten Ember Day is on March 22, 2006. Catholics of the Archdiocese are asked to fast and abstain voluntarily on that day. The intention of the Ember Day is for the healing of victims of child sexual abuse and their reconciliation with the Church." Interesting....
• Altoona-Johnstown -- provided the faithful "pray for vocations to St. Patrick or Sts. Cyril & Methodius." Interesting again....
• Wilmington -- seemingly no strings attached

A few of the places I'm waiting to hear from: Pittsburgh, the dioceses of Connecticut and Massachusetts (extant Boston), Savannah, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami (for John Timoney's sake) -- and, for the love of God, Fort Wayne-South Bend!

One place I have heard from is Omaha. Apparently, Archbishop Elden Curtiss is not indulting the Nebraska Irish -- and those of us who love them. The chancery, I'm told, is getting more than just an earful.

Rightfully so, I say; it's not as if 17 March is Saturnalia or anything.

-30-

[NYer]

Will continue to follow Rocco's updates. Good luck!

[ex-snook]

Philadelphia OK with corn beef.

[Conservative til I die]

Up here in Yonkers, NY I believe one of the parishes I attend semi-regularly is allowing the Friday exception for St. Patrick's.

[rzeznikj at stout]

Archdiocese of Milwaukee gave the OK, but if we do, there has to be some sort of penitence done during the second week of Lent.

[NYer]

Archdiocese of Milwaukee gave the OK, but if we do, there has to be some sort of penitence done during the second week of Lent.

Which makes perfect sense. Do you think catholics will make the additional sacrifice.

Unfortunately, this is how the meatless Fridays US Indult began, following Second Vatican Council. Permission was broadly granted to allow catholics to eat meat on Fridays - provided - they made some other form of personal sacrifice. How many catholics actually follow this practice? (that's a rhetorical question :-)

[rzeznikj at stout]

Do you think catholics will make the additional sacrifice.

Not really. Though they should.

Unfortunately, this is how the meatless Fridays US Indult began, following Second Vatican Council. Permission was broadly granted to allow catholics to eat meat on Fridays - provided - they made some other form of personal sacrifice.

Wait--so we're technically not supposed to eat meat on Fridays, period?

[It's me]

I find this kind of sad, really. The church only asks of us to abstain from meat on Fridays. The US Bishops cut it down to Fridays in Lent, of which there are only six. And still there are some who try and get out of it.

With everything that Christ has done for us is it really too difficult to give up corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Feast Day?

Maybe the movie "The Passion of the Christ" should be viewed again.

[NYer]

Wait--so we're technically not supposed to eat meat on Fridays, period?

That was my reaction 3 years ago when another freeper pointed out the following code from Canon Law.

The  CODE  of  CANON  LAW - Original Latin Text copyright 1983 Liberia Editrice
Vaticana, Vatican City – Book IV The Sanctifying Office of the Church

Chapter II

DAYS OF PENANCE

Can. 1249  All Christ's faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. On these days the faithful are in a special manner to devote themselves to prayer, to engage in works of piety and charity, and to deny themselves, by fulfilling their obligations more faithfully and especially by observing the fast and abstinence which the following canons prescribe.

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

Can. 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.

Can. 1252  The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.

Can. 1253  The Episcopal Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

(Emphasis has been added.)                Canon Law Society of America: Text & Commentary

Meatless Fridays

Though quite young at the time, I still recall the news media coverage of this announcement. All emphasis was placed on the fact that catholics could now eat meat on Fridays. What they failed to communicate was the need to abstain from something else on those occasions when they chose to eat meat on a Friday. And ... the bishops issued no corrections to the media.

Of course, this is a personal penance, voluntarily chosen, that comes from the heart. This is the crux of the matter. Now that you know the reality of this penance, the choice is yours to either adhere to the Canon as written or follow the indult offered by the bishops.

[markomalley]

I've not seen an announcement to that effect, but a priest frind of mine says that McCarrick has granted the indult for Washington DC.

I hope it rains in every diocese (where the indult has been granted) on the optional memorial for St. Patrick, bishop. I will think of it as tears from St. Patrick at how his memory has been blasphemed.

[visualops]

so we're technically not supposed to eat meat on Fridays, period?

Correct.
I remember "fish on Friday" being a common phrase when I was growing up. All the restaurants I worked at in NYC ran fish & seafood specials on Fridays. When I was in the Greek Orthodox church Fridays were a day of abstinence, and during Lent it was Wednesdays and Fridays if I recall correctly.

[NYer]

All the restaurants I worked at in NYC ran fish & seafood specials on Fridays.

Are you a native NYer?

Those specials still run during Lent up here in Albany (and I would imagine in many other cities where they want to 'cash in' on an 'event'). What bothers me most is that throughout the year, my KofC Council insists on serving up meat at their Friday dinners. I tried to approach them on this topic but they scoffed at me. (I attribute that more to the local bishop than to them. They are just as ignorant as was I for 40 years).

[franky]

"The Catholic Witness", Harrisburg Diocese lists following St. Patrick's Day Celebrations:

Chambersburg - March 11 - 3- 7 PM

Harrisburg - Ancient Order of Hibernians - March 16 corn beef 5-7 PM

Middletown - March 18 - St Patrick fling into spring.

New Freedom - No date - Irish Band - No food.

York - March 11 - Irish night - no food

St Patrick's - Dinner dance March 18 - no food.

Fr. Trugillio is having spaghetti this Sat if interested.

[franky]

I was a 4th degree up until 5 years ago when I got tired of the work to be done and a few other things. Real big problem to me was having the Home open on Good Friday. The beer still flowed like water.

[JohnRoss]

Lent in the Roman Catholic Church has become a bit of a joke. For all practical purposes, it has been abolished as a time of fasting.

Pope St. Gregory (d. 604), writing to St. Augustine of Canterbury: "We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese and eggs."

Byzantine Catholics still observe this rule.

[RKBA Democrat]

"Lent in the Roman Catholic Church has become a bit of a joke. For all practical purposes, it has been abolished as a time of fasting."

I wouldn't call it a joke, because I think it's sad. Throughout all these articles what is the underlying message? That we shouldn't or can't give up meat for one whole day when we would traditionally eat it?

Our Lord was stretched out on a cross. And we can't turn away from our gluttony, we can't control our physical compulsion for eating meat....for a whole day a week in memory of his Passion?!

"Byzantine Catholics still observe this rule."

Yup. And not just during the Great Fast (Lent), either. As I noted on the previous articles, we have yet to see an eastern Bishop on the list. And I'd be willing to bet that we won't see one.

[RKBA Democrat]

"With everything that Christ has done for us is it really too difficult to give up corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Feast Day?"

Apparently so. And for a kind of boiled meat that's like chewing on a piece of shoe-leather no less.

"Maybe the movie "The Passion of the Christ" should be viewed again."

You'd think that simply remembering the Passion would be enough. But if viewing the movie is what works, then I'm all for it.

[RKBA Democrat]

Interesting FR name, BTW.

[sitetest]

Cardinal McCarrick has now granted a dispensation for the Archdiocese of Washington, provided the individual performs some other penitential practice.

[Coleus]

http://www.patersondiocese.org/page.cfm?Web_ID=1653

CLIFTON - Bishop Serratelli has announced that he has granted a dispensation to all Catholics living in the Diocese of Paterson from the Lenten obligation to abstain from eating meat on Friday, March 17, the feast day of St. Patrick.

"This dispensation is given with the recommendation that the faithful honor both St. Patrick and this holy season of Lent by praying for the protection of all life," the bishop said