4Real Forums: History of Lenten fast/abstinence rules?

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Topic: History of Lenten fast/abstinence rules?

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Angel
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Posted: Feb 13 2010 at 4:18pm \| IP Logged

I was wondering if anyone knew why changes were made to the rules for Lenten fasting/abstinence in the Roman rite? It's my understanding that prior to these changes Lenten eating looked a lot more like the Eastern rite/Orthodox fast -- no meat for all 40 days, no animal products (eggs, cheese, milk).

Just curious.

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Angela
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MaryM
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Posted: Feb 13 2010 at 5:36pm \| IP Logged

I think we have a past thread addressing that somewhere or maybe it was on Catholic Cuisine blog. I'll look around a bit.

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CatholicMommy
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Posted: Feb 16 2010 at 10:53am \| IP Logged

The old fasting included no wine or olive oil either; and meat included fish with backbones. Some feast days were allowed oil/wine and sometimes fish, but not free for all

I don't entirely understand the reasoning, but I know it was about 500 years ago when they originally lightened, and then this past century when we went to a lot more of voluntary fasting.

I know some of the reasons used, after the fact at least, were that some people just can't fast according to the rules and they lessened it so more people could fast without fail; that for some people, these rules aren't really that hard to do; that fasting according to one's spiritual direction would be more appropriate.
(all of the above is where a really good spiritual director comes in handy... my personal opinion is that this is where the real rub lies - spiritual direction wasn't there)

While they allow for the word Alleluia on Sundays, they don't allow meat and other alleviation from fasting either. In our family, we're following it loosely, keeping Sundays as a lighter day; and allowing oil on Tuesdays/Thursday (as the Eastern Rite does during the Nativity fast).

What is interesting is that no additional penances/sacrifices are required when one is able to follow the fasting rules very closely.

And get this! *SWEETS* are ALLOWED!

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Angel
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Posted: Feb 16 2010 at 4:54pm \| IP Logged

Ok, after doing some research... I found Pope Benedict's Lenten Message for 2009, which encourages more intensive fasting on a voluntary basis.

Apparently the current fasting/abstinence rules were instituted in 1966, in the hopes (as I understand it) that the relaxed rules on food would encourage more voluntary penitetial practices involving prayer, almsgiving, acts of charity, etc. Pre-Vatican II the rules were still not as strict as the Orthodox rules. This link seems to be the clearest summary of the actual rules I could find:

What Were the Pre-Vatican II Rules on Fasting and Abstinence?

That was 1945. I also found a link to a newspaper article dated 1966 which included quotes from several Catholic housewives to the effect of, "Thank goodness we don't have 40 days of tuna fish sandwiches, cheese, and eggs anymore!"

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Angela
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CatholicMommy
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Posted: Feb 16 2010 at 5:29pm \| IP Logged

Angel wrote:

That was 1945. I also found a link to a newspaper article dated 1966 which included quotes from several Catholic housewives to the effect of, "Thank goodness we don't have 40 days of tuna fish sandwiches, cheese, and eggs anymore!"

MMMMMM. I'm not even fasting yet and that sounds SO good (and I don't normally care for tuna!)

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