Is It Ok For Central New York Catholics To Eat Corned Beef Today
During lent, Catholics abstain from eating meat on Lenten Fridays. What if one of those Friday's during lent happens to be St. Patrick's Day? Is it ok for Central New Yorker's to eat it then?
If you’re an Irish Catholic living in the United States, St. Patrick's Day falling on a Friday could be come a problem. Most churches advise you to check with your local diocese before eating in corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day this year. Here in Central New York, it appears you may be in the clear.
Cardinal Dolan, who currently serves as the tenth and current Archbishop of New York, has given Central New York Catholics, and New York Catholics, the ok.
CNY.org reports that in a letter written to pastors and administrators of parishes back in January of 2017, the cardinal asked them to notify their parishioners that it's ok to break this rule to enjoy corned beef and cabbage today.
The cardinal also noted that “fasting and abstinence from meat on Fridays are important Lenten obligations for every Catholic bound by age and health,” and he urged the pastors and administrators to “strongly encourage our people” to follow the directives.
Don't worry, you aren't breaking any rules by celebrating this day.
The last time this problem happened was back in 2006. Roughly half of the United States’ 179 Roman Catholic dioceses granted some form of ok then.
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