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Answer
Catholics engage in various acts of penitence and spiritual self-discipline during Lent, the period of approximately forty days leading up to Easter. One of these practices is a fast that requires Catholics to refrain from consuming meat on Fridays during Lent. This rule is based on the authority of the Church rather than on the authority of Scripture.
The prohibition against eating meat on Fridays during Lent for Catholics is actually less strict than what most Catholics throughout history have been required to adhere to. In centuries past, the Catholic Church mandated abstaining from meat on all Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Over time, this regulation was relaxed to exclude meat from the diet only on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays. In 1966, Catholic bishops in America, with the approval of Pope Paul VI, further eased this rule. Currently, meat is only forbidden on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Fridays during Lent. Catholics are obliged to follow this fast as a minimum requirement; they may choose to impose stricter rules on themselves if they wish.
The rationale behind Catholics refraining from eating meat on Fridays during Lent is to commemorate the fact that Jesus died on a Friday. Jesus sacrificed His body (His flesh), and Catholics, in their pursuit of deeper communion with Christ, abstain from consuming flesh.
If Catholics are prohibited from eating meat on Fridays, why is the consumption of fish allowed? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explains that fish falls into a different category of animals. Therefore, it is only the meat of warm-blooded animals that is restricted. Eggs, butter, and milk are also permissible.
There is no indication in the Bible that suggests Christians must adhere to a specific fasting practice. Whether one eats meat on Fridays or refrains from doing so—on any day—is not inherently a spiritual matter. The act of abstaining from meat during Lent is simply a tradition established by the Catholic Church. It does not possess inherent spiritual significance.
Ritual value and cannot guarantee that a person draws closer to Christ. While fasting can be beneficial, it is good to remember Jesus’ words, “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them” «not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. », (Matthew 15:11).
