Monday, 16 May 2011

Catholics are being encouraged to take seriously the practice of weekly penance. Bishop Brain recently attended a meeting of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, in which it was confirmed that we once again abstain from meat on Fridays so as to be more closely united with Christ and each other.

Penance helps Christians identify more closely with Christ, whether it is through prayer, fasting or almsgiving. The practice of penance is a sure way of answering God's call to become holy.

Traditionally, Friday has been the day set aside by the Church for the faithful to practise penance, since Christ died on the Cross on a Friday. The law of the Church requires Catholics to abstain from meat on Fridays, or some other form of food, unless Bishops' Conferences determine otherwise. The Bishops of England and Wales did indeed determine otherwise in 1984. Since then, many Catholics have not been aware of the need for Friday penance. The Bishops have now thought it more prudent to keep with the traditional custom.

The Bishops have decided to re-establish the practice that the Friday penance be fulfilled by abstaining from meat. Those who cannot or choose not to eat meat as part of their normal diet should abstain from some other food of which they regularly partake. This is to come into effect from Friday 16th September 2011 when we will mark the anniversary of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom.

Many may wish to go beyond this simple act of common witness and mark each Friday with a time of prayer and further self-sacrifice. In all these ways we unite our sacrifices to the sacrifice of Christ, who gave up his very life for our salvation.