Whatever Happened to Friday Abstinence in Practice?

[buytenp]

I’ve been thinking about something lately and wanted to toss it out to the group.

Growing up, Friday meant no meat. It wasn’t optional, it wasn’t debated — it was just what Catholics did. Now, at least here in the U.S., it seems like many Catholics don’t even realize that Friday penance is still a thing, even if the bishops have allowed other forms of penance outside of Lent.

I’m not trying to start a fight — just an honest discussion.

Do you still abstain from meat every Friday?

Do you substitute another penance?

Do you think we’ve lost something by relaxing the discipline?

Would a return to universal abstinence be spiritually helpful?

It seems to me that small, consistent acts of penance form the backbone of a serious Catholic life. When those practices fade, so does a certain shared identity.

Curious to hear how others approach it.

[little2add]

You do realize that Catholics were required to abstain from meat every  Friday of the year before Vatican II, not just during lent

 

it was a long time ago, (I don’t remember ) but I think Catholics didn’t eat meat for the entire 40 days of lent pre-Vatican II

This may sound strange to some people, but I actually look forward to a fish dinner on Friday and it is my preference. 
 

come to think of it when my grandparents immigrated to United States from Italy around 1910, meat was not on the menu. It was too expensive.

abstaining from meat during the Fridays of lent is hardly a sacrifice or a act of penance

 

2 hours ago, buytenp said:

, consistent acts of penance

 

 

 

Edited February 16 by little2add

[Luigi]

2 hours ago, little2add said:

come to think of it when my grandparents immigrated to United States from Italy around 1910, meat was not on the menu. It was too expensive.

abstaining from meat during the Fridays of lent is hardly a sacrifice or a act of penance

 

 

 

 

Your grandparents' experience applied to almost everybody in the Catholic Church except wealthy people. So the Church's rule about abstaining from meat on Fridays actually targeted only the wealthy. Irish immigrants I've known used to say that an Irishman was lucky to get meat four times a year, so they ate on Fridays what they always ate on Fridays, which wasn't meat. 

A friend of mine says that the point of not eating meat was to "live like the poor." She says that the modern equivalent of that would be eating beans and weenies for supper rather than going to local upscale parish's fish fry and ordering the lobster ravioli, which is not poor people's food. She says meat is not the point - humbling oneself to experience poverty is the point. 

And to buytenp's question - any and all of us can choose not to eat meat any day we so desire. If you prefer not to eat meat on Fridays, or on Fridays in Lent, or any other set of days, help yourself. It can be like Dry January, only with meat. 

Edited February 17 by Luigi

[buytenp]

I think there’s an important distinction here between historical circumstance and ecclesial discipline.

You’re right that before the reforms following Second Vatican Council, Catholics were bound to Friday abstinence year-round under pain of sin. But it’s not quite accurate to say Catholics abstained from meat for the entire 40 days of Lent in the universal sense. The discipline varied by time and place, and fasting rules were often stricter than today, but not simply “no meat for 40 straight days” across the board.

[Luigi]

And, by the way, the Spanish did not have to abstain from meat on Fridays during the year - maybe during Lent, I don't know. The exemption for Friday abstaining was a papal reward for have discovered and evangelized the New World. 

[little2add]

On 2/16/2026 at 8:06 PM, Luigi said:

A friend of mine says that the point of not eating meat was to "live like the poor."

I love a good fish fry, I almost feel guilty going out for the annual       Fire Department Friday Lenten Fish Fry Dinner.   Not only is it not a sacrifice it is an important annual fundraiser for the fire company and a great way to break bread with family and friends.

This fish fry is eat-in or takeout, you have to walk up to the second floor of the old fire house and they have big continuous picnic tables set up in the dining area, etc. (very nice)

 

There were a lot of elderly couples there having their dinner and I had to wait in line to get my to-go order.  I bet you there was 25 or 30 people ahead of me, but it was worth the wait...

Overall, it was a very gratifying and humble experience, and I plan on going back again, next Friday

 

Sides choices with the meal was: French fries, baked potato or macaroni and cheese.  So I got one of each.!

Edited February 27 by little2add

[Luigi]

I just got back from the fish fry at one of the local parishes. The fish fry is a major fundraiser for the parish and has been for 60 years. It's open year round with the exception of a couple of weeks in the summer. I go once a month with a couple of buddies, and there might be 25 or 30 people ahead of us on any given night. But during Lent, the lines are unbelievable. Tonight we were in line for an hour and 10 minutes. But it's good! 

Edited February 28 by Luigi

[little2add]

Bless us, O Lord, for these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Help us to be mindful of all our blessings, and the needs of those who have less. Amen.

[Luigi]

And then the tag line - God bless the cooks!