Why don Catholics eat meat on Fridays during Lent?
The practice of refraining from the consumption of meat by Catholics is known as abstinence and is an old and venerable tradition. St. Thomas Aquinas gives the three purposes of fasting and abstaining: “in order to bridle the lusts of the flesh…that the mind may arise more freely to the contemplation of heavenly things…and in order to satisfy for sins.” In ages past, the consumption of meat was not as frequent as today and celebrations were marked with meat-filled meals. Because Jesus was crucified on a Friday, for Christians, this day has always regarded as a penitential day marked by the abstention from consuming flesh. Prior to reforms in the Church in the 1960s, Catholics were expected to refrain from consuming meat on all Fridays throughout the year and in advance of certain holy days. However, in 1966, Pope Paul VI limited the number of days that required fasting and abstinence and allowed local bishops to modify certain details. In the U.S. it is still expected that all Frid
