Fish On Friday Re-Established

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[b][size="3"][color="#105cb6"][url="http://uvcarmel.org/2011/05/13/fish-on-friday-re-established-by-the-catholic-bishops%E2%80%99-conference-of-england-and-wales/"][color="#0000ff"]Fish on Friday[/color][/url][url="http://uvcarmel.org/2011/05/13/fish-on-friday-re-established-by-the-catholic-bishops%e2%80%99-conference-of-england-and-wales/"] re-established by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales[/color][/size][/url][/b]

[url="http://uvcarmel.org/2011/05/13/fish-on-friday-re-established-by-the-catholic-bishops%E2%80%99-conference-of-england-and-wales/"]http://uvcarmel.org/2011/05/13/fish-on-friday-re-established-by-the-catholic-bishops%E2%80%99-conference-of-england-and-wales/[/url]

The title is a little misleading because I doubt that the Bishop's are insisting that Catholic eat fish on Fridays - just that they abstain from meat.

For me, fish and chips is hardly a penance, but I do agree that abstaining from meat is a good idea for many reasons, as a memorial of Christ's death and a long held tradition of the Church. I abstain anyway, but it is nice to see that the Bishops of the UK and Wales are making it mandatory there. Won't it be confusing for US Catholics (and others) who don't institute this though? I mean if I travel from one country to another, I could find myself on a Friday in one country that abstains and one that does not!!

[Lil Red]

i think it's a good reminder that the USCCB could take advantage of, in reminding people that some sort of penance is required on Fridays.

[Ash Wednesday]

Cool! This affects me directly, and I think it should become a common practice in other places again as well. I know that in the U.S. Catholics are allowed to substitute it with their own form of penance but that never seemed to work well in practice. We knew to think of Fridays during lent, but growing up, Fridays during any other time of the year for most Catholics meant almost nothing. Honestly how many people are really all that creative with their own "personal penance" and actually remember to do it? The abstinence rule or "fish fridays" I always found a more concrete way of practicing and easier to remember.

Granted, in many circles, fish and seafood dishes are actually more of a luxury or delicacy but I think the idea that it gets your mind off of your eating routine and gets people thinking can be a good thing.

[Archaeology cat]

I'm glad they're doing this. In fact, I sent my Archbishop a thank-you because of it, though it turns out he wasn't there due to recovering from surgery. So let's all pray for my Archbishop, Patrick Kelly.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='nunsense' timestamp='1305453438' post='2241791']I mean if I travel from one country to another, I could find myself on a Friday in one country that abstains and one that does not!!
[/quote]
This brings up an interesting point that I've never really thought of. Is one under the jurisdiction of the bishop in the diocese in which he is physically in at any given time, or is he under the jurisdiction of his own bishop, no matter where he goes?

[MIKolbe]

I believe it is the former. But I am not real smart.

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='MIkolbe' timestamp='1305492606' post='2241932']
I believe it is the former. But I am not real smart.
[/quote]

That's my understanding as well.

I think this is great and would love to see more places re-establish this tradition. A) Because few people really practice penance on Fridays (myself, -gulp-, often included) and B) because it is a [i]unified[/i] penance. In a time when Catholic identity is an issue, I think the latter, though a small gesture, would do a lot.

And I, for one, find our days of abstinence particularly difficult. I'm not a fan of seafood, so fish isn't usually substituted in or if it is, it's an even further penance for me.

[regina_coeli]

Wonderful memories of going out on Friday nights while in HS-- after football and basketball games. Our favorite place knew the Catholic kids would order cokes and fries, and hold the burgers until after midnight. Reminder that you were Catholic, and a good excuse if you missed curfew-- you had to wait for your food!

[fides quarens intellectum]