[1rudeboy]

This is a good thread to ask: someone was asking me about meat on Ash Wednesday. Ok to eat, or not?

How about for the rest of Lent? No meat on Fridays, or other days as well? I know that there was a traditional Catholic view, and that it has been relaxed over the years by the Church.

Can someone fill me in on the details?

[ELS]

Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting (one full meal and two smaller meals, which combined do not equal one full meal) AND abstinence from meat. This is also true for all Fridays during Lent (traditionally for all Fridays throughout the year), especially Good Friday.

Traditionally, some level of fasting was done throughout Lent. However, Sundays are not subject to these rules as they are the Lord's day and are not part of the 40 days of Lent.

I'm sure others can give more detailed explanations, but that is the essence of it.

[onyx]

Catholics abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday as well as on all Fridays during Lent. The strict fast for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday means that we will eat only one main meal on that day, with the other two being very light (and no snacking).

[Coleus]

This is a good thread to ask: someone was asking me about meat on Ash Wednesday. Ok to eat, or not?  >>>>

Genearally speaking, if you are age 14-59 you have to fast (one full meal per day) and generally speaking everyone should abstain from meat on all Fridays of the Year unless a solemnity falls on that day; I don't know what they mean by: "The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority," I will assume age 14.  I know many seniors who eat meat during Lent stating they are waived of the responsibility from abstaining, I think they are wrong because the canon law mentions the ages for fasting (one meal) from your majority to your 60th birthday and all Catholics should abstain from meat on every Friday, unless a Solemnity is celebrated.

The Code of Canon Law prescribes (Canons 1250-1252):

CHAPTER II.

Days of Penance

Can.  1249 The divine law binds all the Christian faithful to do penance each in his or her own way. In order for all to be united among themselves by some common observance of penance, however, penitential days are prescribed on which the Christian faithful devote themselves in a special way to prayer, perform works of piety and charity, and deny themselves by fulfilling their own obligations more faithfully and especially by observing fast and abstinence, according to the norm of the following canons.

Can.  1250 The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every 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 conference of bishops can determine more precisely the observance of fast and abstinence as well as substitute other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety, in whole or in part, for abstinence and fast.