15. THE
QUESTION WAS: Not abstaining from meat on the Fridays of Lent would be a:
a. venial sin
b. mortal sin
c. neither
THE ANSWER IS
.. B
It would be a mortal sin for Catholics 14 and
older, assuming the person did not just forget which day it was. Mortal sins
always require the knowledge of what one is doing, of course.
On Ash Wednesday, Catholics may only have
only one full meal for the day and no meat. If it is absolutely necessary for
the person to fulfill his or her duties that day, the person may also have two
lighter meals during the day, which together, cannot add up to the one
regular-sized meal. No snacks in between. This is obligatory for people aged 18
to 58. It does not include people with a medical condition where fasting would
put the persons life in danger. Those individuals may perform an act of
penance or charity to fulfill their Christian duty for the day.
These are the only obligatory fasting
rules for the entire year. Christians are encouraged to fast much more often
than this. These are just the absolute minimum requirements for someone who
considers themself a follower of Christ.
Likewise, Catholics are encouraged to
attend daily mass. But the absolute minimum requirement is to attend Mass on
Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and to attend Confession once a year if
there is an unconfessed mortal sin.
"All members of the Christian faithful in their own way are bound
to do penance in virtue of divine law; in order that all may be joined in a
common observance of penance, penitential days are prescribed in which the
Christian faithful in a special way pray, exercise works of piety and charity,
and deny themselves by fulfilling their responsibilities more faithfully and especially
by observing fast and abstinence according to the norm of the following
canons." Canon 1249
"All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days
and times throughout the universal Church." Canon 1250
"Self-imposed observance of fasting on all weekdays of Lent is strongly
recommended. Abstinence from meat on other Fridays of the year is recommended,
but not required. Also recommended on all Fridays of the year is prayer,
penance(especially by eating less food), and almsgiving for the sake of world
peace." National Conference of Catholic Bishops
Fasting guidelines:
http://www.webdesk.com/catholic/passages/lent/rules.html
http://www.thecatholicspirit.com/articles.php?article_type=Bishop%20Frederick%20Campbell
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