Expert: Fr. Michael - 11/18/2008

Question
Hello Father,

  I am a practicing catholic and have been my whole life. There is something I would like to know regarding eating fish on Fridays during lent. I would like to know what is meant by meat when we are not to eat meat on Fridays. I want to know what the deliniation is between chicken, fish, or any other meat,and what the bible says is the difference between them. In my opinion, meat would be beef and chicken would be in the same category as fish. I am not trying to be disrespectful, and I plan to follow our rules as best as I can, but I have always wondered what the answer to that question is.
Please explain and thank you for your time,

Jack

Answer
First of all, Catholics abstain from fleshmeat on ALL Fridays of the year (unless a Holyday falls then).  Since the definition depends upon local parlance, meat in most countries includes fowl, but not fish.

There is a good summary article on the Friday abstinence, its history and practice, at www.traditio.com/tradlib/faq11.txt.