The decision to reinstate the custom was announced by the bishops of England and Wales in May. September 16 was chosen as the reintroduction date because it marks the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s arrival in the United Kingdom. The practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays was traditionally a way of remembering that Jesus Christ died on that day of the week. However, the Church in England and Wales abandoned the centuries-old custom back in 1984.

Catholic authorities in England and Wales have ruled that their flocks must once again abstain from eating meat on Fridays as penance for the death of Jesus. The edict went into effect last week."An absence of flesh on the dining table leads us to recall the Lord’s gift of his own flesh on the Cross." How....vivid.

Labels: Catholic Church, England, religion