Most Catholics Allowed to Eat Corned Beef on St. Patrick’s Day Friday

St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and a lot of Catholics were bumming pretty hard when they realized that the holiday lands on a Friday, which would mean they wouldn’t be able to eat corned beef because meat is something that Catholics are called to give up on Fridays during the Lenten season.

St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Friday every seven or so years, and the question is always raised whether or not Catholics should be able to bend the rules of religious tradition and enjoyed corned beef on the holiday.

This year, most all of the dioceses in the United States have given Catholics the go-ahead to enjoy corned beef tomorrow. Out of the 195 dioceses in the United States, only two have publicly announced that there is to be no eating of corned beef, or any other meat, by Catholics on St. Patrick’s Day. Those dioceses are Denver, Colorado and Lincoln, Nebraska.

According to Catholic News Agency, Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison, Wisconsin believes that Catholics should be allowed to eat corned beef and they should also,

Exercise due moderation and temperance in festivities and celebrations of the memorial of St. Patrick, in keeping with the solemnity and honor that is due to so great a saint and his tireless efforts to inspire holiness in the Christian faithful."

 

Bishop Morlino also said that Catholics should,

foster a joyful and reverent devotion to that great saint."

Most Bishops across America agree with Bishop Morlino and say that it’s okay for Catholics to enjoy corned beef as long as they remember to either skip eating meat on Saturday or do an extra act of charity in exchange for eating meat on Friday.

[via Catholic News Agency]