Before the Council of Vatican II, it was a requirement for Catholics to fast from meat on Fridays as a kind of penance in remembrance of the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on the preceding Good Friday.This rule is considerably unlike to the dietary regulations outlined in the Old Testament or those that are still observed by other religions (like Islam) in modern times.Catholics are generally permitted to consume meat.

Since Good Friday is the day when Jesus is said to have sacrificed his own flesh, Christians are instructed not to consume any form of meat on this day.Historically, Catholics have adhered to the rule that it is forbidden to eat meat from animals with a warm blood temperature on Fridays and on Wednesdays during the season of Lent.This regulation originated in the middle ages and was mandated by the church.

When can you eat meat in the Catholic Church?

In 1966, Catholic bishops in the United States further eased the norm with the assent of Pope Paul VI, who also supported the move. In modern times, the only days throughout Lent when it is forbidden to consume meat are Wednesday, Good Friday, and Fridays during the season of Lent.

Why can’t we eat meat on Fridays?

It was considered inappropriate to consume meat on Fridays as a way to ″celebrate″ the death of Christ because Fridays were traditionally seen as a day of fasting and self-flagellation. (As a side note, some bishops have elected to waive the restriction when Saint Patrick’s Day comes on a Friday during Lent because many Irish Catholics observe the holiday as a ″solemnity.″)

Should we eat meat on Fridays during Lent?

Consuming meat on Fridays, or any other day, is not in and of itself a spiritual question; nor is the alternative, abstaining from meat consumption on Fridays or any other day.The Catholic Church’s observance of Lent, in which members are expected to abstain from eating meat, is purely an act of human invention.It does not have any intrinsic spiritual worth and there is no assurance that it will bring a person closer to Christ.

What does it mean to abstain from meat on Good Friday?

A kind of penance that is performed in remembrance of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on the cross for our benefit is to abstain from eating meat on Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, and on each of the other Fridays of Lent.(The same rule applies to the requirement that one must refrain from eating meat on alternate Fridays throughout the year, unless another kind of penance is chosen in its place.)