Cardinal DiNardo allows meat to be eaten on Friday during Lent; Catholics in Houston can thank the leprechauns

HOUSTON – Houston Catholics can eat meat on Friday during Lent as March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day.

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo posted this statement on the website of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on March 3, which reads in part:

“This year, Saint Patrick’s Day falls on Friday, March 17th. It is common knowledge that St. Patrick’s Day is a day of friendly secular celebration for many American Catholics.

“Therefore, I decree that on Friday, March 17, 2023, all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, wherever they may be, and all other Catholics present in the Archdiocese on that day, by my order, shall be exempted from the obligation to abstain from meat ( Code of Canon Law, can 87 § 1).

“Although no one is required to use this permission, those who wish to use it are encouraged to perform an additional act of mercy or penance in exchange for eating meat on this day.”

You can read the cardinal’s full statement here.

Lent is a traditional period of observance for Christians that begins on Ash Wednesday – six and a half weeks before Easter – and provides a 40-day period of fasting and abstinence, in imitation of Jesus Christ’s fasting in the wilderness before he began his public ministry. .

During this time, Catholics and other Christians choose to forego certain pleasures such as sweets, alcohol, or social media as a way to cultivate simplicity and self-control, using their cravings or desires for these things as a reminder to pray and refocus on spiritual matters. (Here’s another if you’re so inclined to take a deep dive into Lent and its history.)

The solution is a short break from the Lenten tradition, as DiNardo noted in his statementand kept by the Bishops of the United States.

If you plan to continue to abstain from eating meat, there are many delicious establishments in the Houston area that plan to serve traditional Lenten dishes. all season on Fridays.

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