Do Catholics eat meat

Answer 1

Of course Catholics eat meat. They may also choose to be vegetarian or adopt some other dietary discipline for heath, social-consciousness, or even spiritual reasons. The question begs the explanation of the disicpline of abstinance which the Church asks of its members on Fridays during Lent. During this time, as a corporate act of penitence, those who are between 14 and 69 are expected under the pain of sin to abstain from flesh meat, except for fish (and the various creatures which have been traditionally accepted as 'fish', i.e., shrimp, turtle, capybarra ;) , and such.) Of course, extenuating circumstances, such as health reasons, may mitigate this expectation for individual Catholics. This is not simply an arbitrary exercise of ecclesial power, but it is a mighty witness to the Lenten season of penitence and it is also a powerful reminder of our need to be about self-denial as a worthy spiritual practice. Catholics are encouraged to practice penitential discipline throughout the year each Friday, but presently this does not include manditory abstinence from meat each and every Friday, as it did decades ago. A few Catholics still maintain this discipline as a year-round spiritual practice. In short Catholics do eat meat. It would seem that Catholics, generally, enjoy meat. But by making this one small sacrifice during our penitential season, we set aside earthly enjoyments in order to temper our wills and restrain our desires in a spirit of penance, so that we may enjoy the Easter season (and the feast which accompanies it) all the more.