Can You Eat Meat On Good Friday?

Can you eat meat on Good Friday? For Catholics observing Good Friday, the answer is no.

Good Friday, observed the Friday before Easter Sunday, commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Catholic law of abstinence dictates that Catholics aged 14 and older refrain from meat on Fridays altogether during Lent, including on Good Friday.

Additionally, Catholics aged 18 to 59 should fast on both Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, defined by the Roman Catholic church as consuming only one full meal, or two smaller meals.

Comments

[ThinkCreeps]

02:17 AM on 04/04/2010

So, you can't eat meat, but you can rape children. That's some world you're living in, Ratzinger.

[liquidzen11]

07:29 PM on 04/03/2010

Honest to goodness do we need instructions on what to eat and when?

[MsVella]

05:25 PM on 04/03/2010

Its cute in its own way. They think that they're doing something good simply by not eating meat (and by eating fish or something else they like instead).... My parents are Christian and made sure they didn't have any. I'm an atheist and I didn't have any meat either, sometimes you just have to respect their silly beliefs.... sigh.

[interlude]

04:05 PM on 04/03/2010

You mean there aren't instructions in the bible on what to eat and when?

[KellyRyan]

03:21 PM on 04/03/2010

"Good cafeteria Catholics can eat or refrain from meat eating on Good Friday."

[MiHi]

03:13 PM on 04/03/2010

Don't care. There's a Praline-Pecan Glazed Ham with my name on it for tomorrow.

[Grada3784]

02:36 PM on 04/03/2010

Since I've already been threatened with the worst of Western religion's terroristic threats, I don't suppose eating meat on Good Friday will make much of a difference.

[New Yorker]

12:51 PM on 04/03/2010

Fasting is a tradition established by Jesus himself when he spent 40 days and 40 nights fasting in the Desert, when he resisted the temptations of satan.

The idea of 'Fasting' is to mimic that sacrifice Jesus gave us by his example from 40 days and nights in the desert. Suffering to atone for your sins is something that justice will one day demand of you. The fasting on Friday is one example of how you can repay that debt demanded by God's justice for your many sins, like anyone who would post here to ridicule others. Offending God is always sinful, in whatever way you chose to do such a foolish thing, like say trying to ridicule those who seek to please God by an act like fasting from meat on Friday's in Lent.

[ariveria]

11:54 AM on 04/03/2010

Colossians 2:16
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

says it all

“When the Holy One Blessed be He created Adam, He took him and caused him to pass before all the trees of the Garden of Eden. He said to him, ‘See how beautiful and praiseworthy are my works; and all that I have created, I have created for your sake. Take heed that you do not damage and destroy my world.’” (Koheleth Rabbah 7:28)

[rf dude]

11:36 AM on 04/03/2010

'
Only kosher meat...

[New Yorker]

11:25 AM on 04/03/2010

Why would people who have no belief post on a website designed for those who believe in God ?

Could it be they are only here to ridicule an demean what they are incapable of understanding ? Could they be acting for, " The Father Of All LIES " ? Could they be hoping to find the 'Cure' for ignorance and blindness so common to those who have no faith ? Billions believe, and yet they do not. What is inadequete in them that prevents them from believing ? I suspect they are here seeking what they know is missing from their empty lives. Now, if they can just summon the courage to admit it, and act on it. We who do believe in God, must pray for them. May God cure their Blindness.

[Quaoar]

11:42 AM on 04/03/2010

Arrianna's introductory post to this section stated clearly that both believers and non-believers were welcome so it's clear that the section was not designed specifically for those who believe in a god or gods, but for anyone who wants to join the conversation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/announcing-huffpost-relig_b_475227.html

[New Yorker]

12:00 PM on 04/03/2010

Ridicule is not conversation. Inquiry is valuable, humans seek knowledge, and that is always a good thing when done honestly. When done only to pretend one searches for wisdom, and intends to demean the faith of others, it has no good purpose. Jesus said those who are his have love in their hearts, and those who have no love, he cannot recognize. Many who say they are Christians show they have no love when they post to ridicule. Those who have no faith, who do the same are not worth debating.

[SneathLane]

11:15 AM on 04/03/2010

You can't eat meat, but you can eat puffins, which are considered fish.

[booboopickle]

07:03 AM on 04/03/2010

If you are cruel and heartless hypocrite you can eat "meat" anytime you want.

[Etruscate]

10:14 AM on 04/03/2010

Cruel and heartless, check. Hypocrite? Well now I'm confused.

[MiHi]

03:15 PM on 04/03/2010

The heartless & cruelty is what makes it so tender and delicious!

[Patrick Britton]

03:54 AM on 04/03/2010

At first I thought it was great that Huffington Post was being open minded by starting a Religion section. It's obvious that readers aren't able to do the same thing. Can't read an article on here without random bashing. I just want to know why you even read this section if you are an atheist or not religious? To make random statements about how much you disapprove?

[Lozange]

07:04 AM on 04/03/2010

Strange how the new topic coincided with a US Church scandal.

[NevaforLeadership]

10:23 AM on 04/03/2010

I'm an atheist. Had more religious (Christian) background than most: service every day, church every Sunday, religious instructions and homework twice a week, grace before meals. To this day I remember my Sunday guilt induced by the blood and thunder of the pulpit, not for any real transgressions, but to keep me humble and the collection plate full.

I started getting wise to the zodiac myths in my teenage years and ventured into the realm of agnostic.

It wasn't till I was an adult, after having read a whole lot about the origin or religions and gods that I dared to be an open atheist.

Now I take every opportunity to expose religions for what they are: hypocritical, archaic institutions that revere man-made gods and pagan myths instead of science and the wonder of the universe.

That is why I venture on to these threads: to expose religion, its dangerous war-mongering, its archaic rigidity, its abuse of women, its molestation of children, its proselytizing of the uneducated, its institutionalization of backward men living off the fruits of their congregations, its ridiculous and irrational myths.

That's enough for now.

[New Yorker]

11:29 AM on 04/03/2010

May God in his mercy grant you wisdom and sight that you may see, and understand all that you do not. May Jesus forgive you your sins, and lead you and all souls so desperate for His Mercy to heaven.

[Patrick Britton]

04:45 PM on 04/03/2010

I do not find disagreements about the problems you listed that are associated with organized religion. Give men power and they will use it to corrupt and control others. You will also find that in any government or household with an abusive husband. People are corrupt, it is what they do.

I am not a religious man. I believe in God, I believe in Christ, I do no subscribe to the worst of the worst you listed. I subscribe to the lessons of Jesus, the ones of love and acceptance. I am not an old testament Christian. I love everyone, I let God deal with the details.

[BigSlick674]

03:19 AM on 04/03/2010

We had fast food on Wednesday and the Burger King was good Friday.

[WiltonDiary]

05:42 AM on 04/03/2010

And now you'll be headed to hell, that is until they reverse this rule and it'll all be OK again as it was in the 70's when it was OK to eat meat on Fridays in Lent, except Good Friday, and also Ash Wednesday. It use to be ok for all those sixty and older to eat meat on FF and AW also, then they changes all that again.

Now I ask? With regard to all those Catholics that went to hell for eating meat on Fridays when meat was prohibited on all Friday's throughtout the year, until those laws/rules were relaxed after Vatican 2; were their sentences to hell reversed?

[New Yorker]

11:47 AM on 04/03/2010

We could fill Volumes with what you DO NOT KNOW about Catholicism.

The idea of 'Fasting' is to mimic the sacrifice Jesus gave us by his example from 40 days and nights in the desert. Suffering to atone for your sins is something that justice will one day demand of you. The fasting on Friday is one example of how you can repay that debt demanded by God's justice for your many sins, like the post you use here to ridicule others. The Vatican Council recognized errors in church teachings, like the idea that having a hamburger on Friday could send you to hell, when it was sign of disrespect, and done purposely to offend God. Offending God is always sinful, in whatever way you chose to do such a foolish thing, like say trying to ridicule those who seek to please God by an act like fasting on Friday.

[New Yorker]

11:47 AM on 04/03/2010

I would also point out that the Blessed Mother told the children of Fatima that the loss of even a single soul to hell was a greater trajedy than all the dead from all the wars in the history of the world. We humans do not grasp the concept of eternity, and fail to see that this is no matter to be joked about or considered lightly. The church has altered its teachings as it continues to seek the wisdom of God, which is imperfect in all mere humans, as your post illustrates so well. The children of Fatima were allowed momentarily to actually see hell, and years later the remaining child of Fatima said they only were able to endure that experience because the Blessed Mother first showed them heaven, and promised that they would all be going there.