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| Catholics asked to abstain from meat for Friday penance | Catholics asked to abstain from meat for Friday penance |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Catholics in England and Wales are being asked to abstain from eating meat on Fridays as an act of penance, reviving a centuries-old tradition. | Catholics in England and Wales are being asked to abstain from eating meat on Fridays as an act of penance, reviving a centuries-old tradition. |
| Bishops say Friday should be a day of penitence as it is the day on which Christ is said to have died. | Bishops say Friday should be a day of penitence as it is the day on which Christ is said to have died. |
| They say Friday penance will be "a clear and distinctive mark" of Catholic identity and an act of common worship. | They say Friday penance will be "a clear and distinctive mark" of Catholic identity and an act of common worship. |
| A resolution in May said penance would begin on 16 September to mark the first anniversary of the Pope's UK visit. | A resolution in May said penance would begin on 16 September to mark the first anniversary of the Pope's UK visit. |
| Warm-blooded animals | Warm-blooded animals |
| In a statement issued earlier this month, the bishops said it was important that followers of the Church were united in a common, identifiable act of Friday penance because "the virtue of penitence is best acquired as part of a common resolve and common witness". | In a statement issued earlier this month, the bishops said it was important that followers of the Church were united in a common, identifiable act of Friday penance because "the virtue of penitence is best acquired as part of a common resolve and common witness". |
| Those who cannot or already choose not to eat meat as part of their daily diet are being asked to abstain from some other food or activity. | Those who cannot or already choose not to eat meat as part of their daily diet are being asked to abstain from some other food or activity. |
| Trying to re-establish the practice of abstaining from meat on a Friday may prove difficult for the Church. Many Catholics have already shown that in many areas of life, they are not always willing to follow rules laid down by the clergy. Despite this, I have learnt that some Catholic schools have already withdrawn meat from their canteen menus on a Friday, and told parents not to give their children packed lunches containing meat. However, the order won't apply in Scotland, which has its own Bishops' Conference. A spokesman told me that abstaining from meat wasn't compulsory, only "commendable". | |
| Those aged under 14, the sick, elderly, pregnant women, seafarers, manual workers or others in situations where there are moral or physical reasons for eating meat are excused from abstaining. | Those aged under 14, the sick, elderly, pregnant women, seafarers, manual workers or others in situations where there are moral or physical reasons for eating meat are excused from abstaining. |
| The Catholic Church defines meat as the flesh of warm-blooded animals, so eating fish is permitted on Fridays. | The Catholic Church defines meat as the flesh of warm-blooded animals, so eating fish is permitted on Fridays. |
| The practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays is centuries-old, but in 1985 the Catholic Church in England and Wales allowed Catholics to substitute another form of penance in its place. | The practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays is centuries-old, but in 1985 the Catholic Church in England and Wales allowed Catholics to substitute another form of penance in its place. |
| The general secretary of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Father Marcus Stock, said changes to Canon Law in 1983 were seen as an opportunity to look at the requirement to avoid meat on Fridays and see if changing it could be beneficial. | The general secretary of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Father Marcus Stock, said changes to Canon Law in 1983 were seen as an opportunity to look at the requirement to avoid meat on Fridays and see if changing it could be beneficial. |
| "Because sometimes penance in the past had become mechanistic, many bishops' conferences were wanting to use the opportunity to renew the spirit of penitence," he said. | "Because sometimes penance in the past had become mechanistic, many bishops' conferences were wanting to use the opportunity to renew the spirit of penitence," he said. |
| "I think what hadn't been envisaged at the time was that because people wouldn't be carrying out the same act together that this might lead to the loss of penance in people's lives." | "I think what hadn't been envisaged at the time was that because people wouldn't be carrying out the same act together that this might lead to the loss of penance in people's lives." |
| 'Responsibilities' | 'Responsibilities' |
| Father Marcus said the act of penance itself was not the end goal, but rather a way of making reparation for past wrongs and identifying with people who were suffering. | Father Marcus said the act of penance itself was not the end goal, but rather a way of making reparation for past wrongs and identifying with people who were suffering. |
| "It's about recognising that a wrong was done when our Lord was crucified and killed," he said. "It's linked to almsgiving and concern for the poor and to bring to our minds that we have responsibilities - all of us. | "It's about recognising that a wrong was done when our Lord was crucified and killed," he said. "It's linked to almsgiving and concern for the poor and to bring to our minds that we have responsibilities - all of us. |
| "It's to easy to forget sometimes about those who are suffering. This is a regular way of remembering that people are homeless, people are hungry, people are in need." | "It's to easy to forget sometimes about those who are suffering. This is a regular way of remembering that people are homeless, people are hungry, people are in need." |
| The Bishops' Conference has published questions and answers on Friday penance on its website. | The Bishops' Conference has published questions and answers on Friday penance on its website. |