Thank God for General Dispensations
As a Catholic, I must confess to occasionally mocking the dietary restrictions imposed on my conservative Jewish friends by their faith. At least kosher dietary laws have a clear scriptural basis. The same may not be said of Catholicism’s Lenten dining prohibitions, which have morphed from a mandate requiring reverent fasting to pan-seared scallops with white wine garlic glaze and Asian tuna steak Friday.
The ridiculousness* of Catholicism’s Lenten dietary rules becomes especially evident when, as this year, St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday:
St. Louis area Catholics won’t face a corned beef conundrum come St. Patrick’s Day.
Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of St. Louis and Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville granted general dispensations that will allow Roman Catholics to eat meat on this year’s holiday, which falls on Friday. Catholics generally abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent in preparation for Easter.
But there are a couple of catches to the corned-beef capitulation.
Braxton asked that those who take advantage of the dispensation perform another form of penance, either on Friday, or another day of their choice. Burke encouraged those who take advantage to abstain from meat on another day of the second week of Lent.
Our Irish-Catholic household enjoyed its corned beef dinner last evening, so I’m looking forward to some guilt-free fasting tomorrow night. I should probably make a reservation soon. Seafood restaurants fill up quickly on Friday evenings during Lent.
*Now that I think about it, I should probably also schedule my confession.
Filed under: St. Louis, Religion, Food & Drink
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