Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church has strict rules regarding fasting and abstinence, which have been relaxed over the years. Pope Paul VI's 1966 Apostolic Constitution on Penance, Pænitemini, states that the days of penitence to be observed under obligation throughout the Church are all Fridays and Ash Wednesday. The law of abstinence forbids the use of meat but not of eggs, milk, or condiments made of animal fat. While fasting and abstinence regulations are more relaxed now, some Catholics choose to abstain from eggs on days of abstinence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Are eggs allowed during abstinence? | Yes, eggs are allowed during abstinence. |
| Are eggs allowed during Lent? | Yes, except on Ash Wednesday and the last three days of Lent. |
| Are eggs allowed on Good Friday? | No. |
| Are eggs allowed on Peter and Paul, and All Saints days? | Yes. |
| Are eggs allowed on Ember Days? | Yes, except on Ember Friday in Lent. |
| Are eggs allowed on Saturdays? | Yes. |
| Age restrictions | Those who have completed their 14th year of age are bound to the law of abstinence. |
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What You'll Learn
Meat is forbidden on abstinence days, but eggs are allowed
The Catholic Church has strict rules regarding fasting and abstinence, particularly during Lent. Meat is forbidden on abstinence days, but eggs are allowed.
Abstinence from meat is obligatory on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, which opens the Lenten season. Good Friday is a day of complete abstinence. Meat is also prohibited on the vigil of Christmas, or the day before, and the vigil of the Immaculate Conception or the Assumption. In Canada, abstinence days include Fridays, Wednesdays during Lent and Advent, Ember Days, the vigils of Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, the Assumption, and feast days of saints. In the US, abstinence is observed on Fridays, Saturdays during Lent, Holy Thursday, and Wednesdays during Advent.
On abstinence days, Catholics are allowed to eat eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and fish. Meat byproducts such as lard and drippings are also allowed. However, suet is prohibited whenever meat is not allowed. Fish and flesh are never to be eaten at the same meal on any fast day.
The regulations on fasting and abstinence have been relaxed over the years. In 1966, Pope Paul VI issued the Apostolic Constitution on Penance, which acknowledged the penitential character of Lent while allowing Catholics to substitute fasting and abstinence with prayer and works of charity.
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Fish is allowed on abstinence days, but not with meat
The Catholic Church has strict regulations regarding fasting and abstinence. The regulations were once stricter than they are now. In the early 20th century, Church law prescribed fasting throughout Lent, with abstinence only on Fridays and Saturdays. In 1966, Pope Paul VI issued his Apostolic Constitution on Penance, Pænitemini, which relaxed the regulations.
The law of abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, milk, butter, cheese, and condiments made of animal fat. Meat is defined as the flesh of a warm-blooded animal. This definition differentiates it from fish, which is allowed on abstinence days.
In the early days of Christianity, there were a variety of fasting practices. Eventually, the bishops communicated and agreed on the minimum standard of abstaining from "Carnis", or the flesh of warm-blooded animals, and their by-products (eggs, milk, etc.) on a near Christendom-wide scale.
Today, Catholics are required to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent. This rule applies outside of Lent as well, but on Fridays, one can choose another type of penance instead. It is common to replace meat with fish, but this is not a requirement. Fish is allowed on abstinence days, but not with meat.
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Catholics are allowed to eat eggs on Ash Wednesday
The Catholic Church has strict rules regarding fasting and abstinence, particularly during the Lenten season. Ash Wednesday, which opens the Lenten season, is one of the days when abstinence and fasting are observed.
Abstinence in the Catholic Church refers to refraining from eating meat, but not eggs, milk, or other animal products. However, there are specific days during Lent when eggs are prohibited, and these include Ash Wednesday and the last three days of Lent.
Historically, Lenten abstinence from meat was much stricter, and Catholics would refrain from eating meat byproducts like eggs, milk, and butter. Over time, the regulations have become less prohibitive. In 1966, Pope Paul VI issued the Apostolic Constitution on Penance, which acknowledged the penitential character of Lent while recommending that fasting be appropriate to the local economic situation.
Today, while Catholics are allowed to eat eggs on Ash Wednesday, they are encouraged to voluntarily fast and abstain or substitute fasting and abstinence with prayer and charitable works. The norms for substituting fasting and abstinence are set by the Episcopal Conferences.
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In the early 20th century, abstinence was required on Fridays and Saturdays
The practice of abstinence in the Catholic Church refers to refraining from something that is good and not inherently sinful, such as meat. Abstinence from meat on Fridays has been a long-standing tradition, dating back to early Christianity, as a way to honour the memory of Christ's suffering and death on a Friday. Over time, the practice of abstinence has been extended to include Saturdays as well, with some sources noting that this tradition originated in the Roman Church.
The specific foods that are restricted during abstinence may vary, but generally, meat is prohibited. Fish is typically allowed, although there are some exceptions during certain liturgical seasons, such as the first and last weeks of Major Lent. Other animal-derived products, such as eggs, milk, butter, and cheese, may be allowed during abstinence, although there are differing opinions and traditions within the Catholic Church.
In addition to abstinence, fasting is also practised by Catholics during Lent and on specific days throughout the year. Fasting refers to reducing one's intake of food and is often observed in conjunction with abstinence. The norms for fasting require only one full meal per day, with two smaller meals that do not equal a full meal. These practices of fasting and abstinence are rooted in the penitential aspect of the Lenten season, as the Catholic Church teaches that all people are obliged to perform penance for their sins.
While the early 20th century saw stricter requirements for fasting and abstinence, with abstinence on Fridays and Saturdays, the norms have since been relaxed in many Catholic countries. Today, the regulations are not as prohibitive, thanks to the 1966 Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini, which emphasised that fasting should be appropriate to the local economic situation and could be substituted with prayer and works of charity.
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Catholics are not required to abstain on ordinary Saturdays
The Catholic Church has strict rules regarding fasting and abstinence, which have been relaxed over the years. In 1966, Pope Paul VI issued an Apostolic Constitution on Penance, recommending that fasting be appropriate to the local economic situation and that all Catholics voluntarily fast and abstain. He also allowed fasting and abstinence to be substituted with prayer and works of charity.
The law of abstinence forbids the consumption of meat, but not eggs, milk, or condiments made from animal fat. The law of fasting allows only one full meal a day but does not prohibit consuming some food in the morning and evening.
In the early 20th century, Church law prescribed fasting throughout Lent, with abstinence only on Fridays and Saturdays. However, abstinence was not required on ordinary Saturdays in the United States. In 1918, the bishops of Ireland were allowed to transfer the Saturday obligation to Wednesday.
Today, Catholics are not required to abstain on ordinary Saturdays. There is a general practice of allowing meat consumption at the chief meal on ordinary Saturdays throughout the year. This practice is observed in various countries, including Ireland, Canada, and Australia.
During Lent, Catholics are allowed to eat meat at their principal meal on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and most Saturdays. However, the second and last Saturdays of Lent are exceptions.
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Frequently asked questions
It depends on the day of abstinence. Eggs are allowed at the principal meal during Lent, except on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and the last three days of Lent.
Yes, in Canada, abstinence days include Fridays, Wednesdays during Lent and Advent, Ember Days, the vigils of Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, the Assumption, and All Saints.
Meat is allowed at the chief meal on ordinary Saturdays throughout the year. However, meat is prohibited on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and during the Christmas, Mary's, and Apostles' Lents.
Fish and flesh are never allowed at the same meal on any fast day during the year. Suet is prohibited whenever meat is not allowed.
The law of fasting allows only one full meal per day but does not prohibit some food in the morning and evening. Those bound by the law of fasting are aged between 18 and the beginning of their 60th year.
