SAN ANGELO, TX – Roman Catholics in the Diocese of San Angelo must continue to observe lent despite St. Patrick's Day, confirms Bishop Michael Sis, the head of the local Diocese.
The following is the full message from Bishop Sis:
Since St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday of Lent, some are wondering whether I will be offering a diocesan dispensation from the obligation of abstinence from meat on Friday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day. In West Texas, there is not a broadly practiced local cultural tradition of eating corned beef and cabbage. There are many beautiful and joyful ways to honor St. Patrick on his feast day without consuming meat. Therefore, I will not be granting an overall diocesan dispensation from the obligation to abstain from meat on St. Patrick's Day. Local pastors already have the ongoing faculty to dispense individuals on a case-by-case basis. Through the intercession of St. Patrick, the apostle and patron of Ireland, may God bring a new wave of evangelization to the Irish people.
Comments
Absolutely no cleric or anyone else is going to dictate what I choose to eat and when I choose to eat it. Religious overreach personified.
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PermalinkAgreed.
To others here, please note that by my asking this question I am not trying to cast aspersions on Roman Catholic orthodoxy. Having said that and being raised Southern Baptist, I have always found the old "No meat on Fridays" thing to be a bit odd. My suspicion is that it is a matter of tradition as opposed to an attempt at strict coherence to doctrine. Meat on Fridays is cool with me.
Taking this further, when John The Baptist baptized Jesus in the River Jordan it was full immersion. Since Roman Catholocism leans heavily on tradition, some of which is beautiful, and supposedly on doctrine based on the Bible, why then does it not baptize with full immersion as I experienced quite some time ago?
I confess to not being an expert regarding religious matters. I simply see what appears to be a disconnect here and welcome an explanation.
I'm not trying to start a fight.
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