2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic

Church
The Catholic Church historically observes the disciplines of fasting and abstinence at various times each year. For
Catholics, fasting is the reduction of one's intake of food, while abstinence refers to refraining from meat (or another
type of food). The Catholic Church teaches that all people are obliged by God to perform some penance for their sins,
and that these acts of penance are both personal and corporeal. The purpose of fasting is spiritual focus, self-
discipline, imitation of Christ, and performing penance.

Contemporary Vatican legislation, which is followed by Catholics of the Latin Rite (who comprise most Catholics) is
rooted in the 1966 Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini, and codified in the 1983 Code of Canon Law
(in Canons 1249–1253). According to Paenitemini and the 1983 Code of Canon Law, on Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday, both abstinence and fasting are required of Catholics who are not exempted for various reasons. All Fridays of
the year are days of penance. All persons who are aged fourteen or older [1] are bound by the law of abstinence on all
Fridays that are not Solemnities, while the law of fasting binds all Catholics who are aged between eighteen and sixty
on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.[2] Nevertheless, both Paenitemini and the 1983 Code of Canon Law permitted
the Episcopal Conferences to propose adjustments of the laws on fasting and abstinence for their home territories, and
most have done so. For example, in some countries, the Bishops' Conferences have obtained from Rome the
substitution of pious or charitable acts for abstinence from meat on all Fridays of the year (including Fridays of Lent)
except Good Friday. Others continue to abstain from eating meat on Lenten Fridays, but not on Fridays outside of
Lent. Still others voluntarily abstain from meat on Fridays throughout the year. Article 110 of Sacrosanctum Concilium
designates Good Friday and Holy Saturday as the Paschal fast; however, fasting may be less stringent on Holy
Saturday than on Good Friday.[3]

Members of the Eastern Catholic Churches are obliged to follow the discipline of their own particular church. While
some Eastern Catholics try to follow the stricter rules of their Orthodox counterparts, the actual canonical obligations
of Eastern Catholics to fast and abstain are usually much more lenient than those of the Orthodox.

Some parishes of the Personal Ordinariates for former Anglicans reconciled to the Catholic Church have either
continued or re-established the discipline of Friday abstinence as conceived in the Book of Common Prayer. Early
Prayer Books set out rules that were in line with the Sarum Rite of the time, where most days prior to Solemnities and
Feasts were delegated as "days of abstinence" along with the Rogation Days. The eating of fish on these days is
generally ruled out within the English Patrimony of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter so the faithful
are effectively vegetarian for the day.

The Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on Fridays popularized the Friday fish fry and inspired the creation of
the Filet-O-Fish sandwich at McDonald's.[4]

Western practice
Contents
History Western practice
History
Rules relating to fasting pertain to the quantity of food allowed on days of
Lent
fasting, while those regulating abstinence refer to the quality or type of food.
Contemporary application
The Christian tradition of fasts and abstinence developed from Old Testament Australia
practices, and were an integral part of the early church community. Louis Canada
England and Wales

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 1/8
2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

Duchesne observed that Monday and Thursday were days of fasting among Ireland
pious Jews.[5] Early Christians practiced regular weekly fasts on Wednesdays United States
and Fridays.[6] Eastern practice
Eucharistic Fast
Lent See also

The habit of fasting before Easter developed gradually, and with considerable References
diversity of practice regarding duration. As late as the latter part of the second External links
century there were differing opinions not only regarding the manner of the
paschal fast, but also the proper time for keeping Easter. In 331 St. Athanasius
enjoined upon his flock a period of forty days of fasting preliminary to, but not inclusive of, the stricter fast of Holy
Week, and in 339, after having traveled to Rome and over the greater part of Europe, wrote in the strongest terms to
urge this observance upon the people of Alexandria as one that was universally practiced, "to the end that while all the
world is fasting, we who are in Egypt should not become a laughing-stock as the only people who do not fast but take
our pleasure in those days".[7]

In the time of Gregory the Great (590–604) there were apparently at Rome six weeks of six days each, making thirty-
six fast days in all, which St. Gregory, who is followed therein by many medieval writers, describes as the spiritual
tithing of the year, thirty-six days being approximately the tenth part of three hundred and sixty-five. At a later date
the wish to realize the exact number of forty days led to the practice of beginning Lent on Ash Wednesday.[7]

The ordinary rule on fasting days was to take but one meal a day and that only in the evening, while meat and, in the
early centuries, wine were entirely forbidden.[7]

These days were at one time observed with a Black Fast of strictly no more than one meal, without meat, dairy, oil, or
wine. In the 10th century the custom of taking the only meal of the day at three o'clock was introduced. In the 14th
century the meal was allowed at mid-day, and soon the practice of an evening collation (snack) became common. A
morning collation was introduced in the early 19th century.[8]

In the early 20th century, Church law prescribed fasting throughout Lent, with abstinence only on Friday and
Saturday. Some countries received dispensations: Rome in 1918 allowed the bishops of Ireland to transfer the
Saturday obligation to Wednesday; in the United States, abstinence was not required on Saturday. The other weekdays
were simply days of "fasting without abstinence." A similar practice (common in the United States) was called "partial
abstinence", which allowed meat only once during the day at the main meal. (There is nothing in current Catholic
Canon Law which corresponds to "partial abstinence".) The countries of the former Spanish empire also had their own
extensive dispensations from the Roman rules of fasting and abstinence, based on the "Crusader privileges" of the
Spanish dominions as codified in the Bull of the Crusade. In some European colonies, the obligation to fast and
abstain differed by race, with natives often having more lenient rules than Europeans or mestizos.

While the rules of abstinence generally only allow seafood, there are a few exceptions. In parts of South America,
especially in Venezuela, capybara meat is popular during Lent and Holy Week; in response to a question posed by
French settlers in Quebec in the 17th century, beaver was classified as an exception;[9][10][11] and the Archbishop of
New Orleans said that "alligator is considered in the fish family" in 2010.[12][13] The legal basis for the classification of
beaver as fish probably rests with the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas, which bases animal classification as
much on habit as anatomy.[14]

Besides Lent, there were other penitential times customarily accompanied by fasting or abstinence. These included
Advent, the Ember Days, the Rogation Days, Fridays throughout the year, and vigils of important feast days.[6]

Advent is considered a time of special self-examination, humility, and spiritual preparation in anticipation of the birth
of Christ. Fridays and Saturdays in Advent were days of abstinence, and until early in the 20th century, the Fridays of
Advent were also days of fasting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 2/8
2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

The vigils observed included the Saturday before Pentecost, October 31 (the vigil of All Saints), December 24
(Christmas Eve), December 7 (the vigil of the Immaculate Conception) and August 14 (the vigil of the Assumption).
These vigils all required fasting; some also required abstinence. If any of these fell on a Sunday, the vigil, but not the
obligation of fasting, was moved to the Saturday before. (Some other liturgical days were also known as vigils but
neither fasting nor abstinence was required, particularly the vigils of feasts of the Apostles and the Vigil of the
Epiphany.) By 1959 in the United States, the fast for the vigil of Christmas was moved to December 23.

Ember days occurred four times a year. The Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of the ember week were days of fast and
abstinence, though the Wednesday and Saturday were often only days of partial abstinence. In addition, Roman
Catholics were required to abstain from meat (but not fast) on all other Fridays, unless the Friday coincided with a
holy day of obligation.

The former regulations on abstinence obliged Roman Catholics starting as young as age seven, but there were many
exceptions. Large classes of people were considered exempt from fasting and abstinence, not only the sick and those
with physically demanding jobs, but also people traveling and students. The regulations were adapted to each nation,
and so in most dioceses in America abstinence from meat was not required on the Friday after Thanksgiving, to
accommodate any meat left over from that US national holiday.

On the eve of Vatican II, fasting and abstinence requirements in numerous Catholic countries were already greatly
relaxed compared to the beginning of the 20th century, with fasting often reduced to just 4 days of the year (Ash
Wednesday, Good Friday, the vigil of Christmas or the day before, and the vigil either of the Immaculate Conception or
of the Assumption).

There has always been a close connection between fasting and almsgiving; the money saved on food should be given to
the poor.[6]

Contemporary application
Contemporary legislation is rooted in the 1966 Apostolic Constitution of Pope Paul VI, Paenitemini. He recommended
that fasting be appropriate to the local economic situation, and that all Catholics voluntarily fast and abstain. He also
allowed that fasting and abstinence might be substituted with prayer and works of charity, although the norms for
doing so were to be set down by the Episcopal Conferences.

Current practice of fast and abstinence is regulated by Canons 1250–1253 of the 1983 code.[15] They specify that all
Fridays throughout the year, and the time of Lent are penitential times throughout the entire Church. All adults (those
who have attained the 'age of majority', which is 18 years in canon law) are bound by law to fast on Ash Wednesday
and Good Friday until the beginning of their sixtieth year. All persons who have completed their fourteenth year are
bound by the law of abstinence on all Fridays unless they are solemnities, and again on Ash Wednesday; but in
practice this requirement has been greatly reduced by the Episcopal Conferences because under Canon 1253, it is these
Conferences that have the authority to set down the local norms for fasting and abstinence in their territories.
(However, the precept to both fast and abstain on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday is usually not dispensed from.)

Absent any specification of the nature of "fasting" in the current Canon Law, the traditional definition is obviously
applicable here which is that on the days of mandatory fasting, Catholics may eat only one full meal during the day.
Additionally, they may eat up to two small meals or snacks,[16] known as "collations". Church requirements on fasting
only relate to solid food, not to drink, so Church law does not restrict the amount of water or other beverages – even
alcoholic drinks – which may be consumed.

In some Western countries, Catholics have been encouraged to adopt non-dietary forms of abstinence during Lent. For
example, in 2009 Monsignor Benito Cocchi, Archbishop of Modena, urged young Catholics to give up text messaging
for Lent.[17]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 3/8
2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

Australia
The Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference decreed on Friday 4 October 1985 that Fridays throughout the year,
including in Lent (other than Good Friday) are not obligatory days of abstinence from meat, provided an alternative
form of penance is practised.[18] Although this remains the case to this day, support for the return of obligatory Friday
abstinence has been gradually increasing since England and Wales returned to Friday abstinence in 2011, with some
Australian bishops expressing interest.[19][20]

Canada
The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops decrees that the days of fast and abstinence in Canada are Ash
Wednesday and Good Friday, and specifies that Fridays are days of abstinence. This includes all Fridays year round,
not just Fridays of Lent. Catholics, however, can substitute special acts of charity or piety on these days.[21]

England and Wales

Current norms for England and Wales, issued by the Bishops' Conference in May 2011, re-introduced the expectation
that all Catholics able to do so should abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year, effective Friday, September 16,
2011.[22]

Ireland
On 25 November 2010 the Irish Bishops’ Conference published the resource leaflet Friday Penance.[23] It followed
from the March 2010 Pastoral Letter to the Catholics of Ireland from Pope Benedict XVI suggesting initiatives to
support renewal in the Church in Ireland. He asked that Irish Catholics offer their Friday Penances “for an outpouring
of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength,” and that fasting, prayer, reading of Scripture and
works of mercy be offered in order to obtain healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland.

The leaflet states that Penance "arises from the Lord’s call to conversion and repentance" and describes that it is an
"essential part of all genuine Christian living":

in memory of the passion and death of the Lord

as a sharing in Christ’s suffering
as an expression of inner conversion
as a form of reparation for sin
Friday Penance also explains why penance is important: “Declaring some days throughout the year as days of fast and
abstinence (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) is meant to intensify penances of the Christian. Lent is the traditional
season for renewal and penance but Catholics also observe each Friday of the year as days of penance. The link
between Friday and penance is extremely ancient and is even reflected in the Irish language word for Friday: An Aoine
(The Fast).”

The leaflet suggests ways of fulfilling Friday penance such as abstaining from meat or alcohol, visiting the Blessed
Sacrament or helping the poor, sick and lonely as well as other suggestions.

United States
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) produced a statement in 1966 called Pastoral Statement on
Penance and Abstinence,[24] which was modified slightly in 1983.[25]

One writer has summarized the U.S. rules as follows:[26]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 4/8
2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

In the United States, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has declared that "the age of
fasting is from the completion of the eighteenth year to the beginning of the sixtieth." The USCCB also
allows the substitution of some other form of penance for abstinence on all of the Fridays of the year,
except for those Fridays in Lent. Thus, the rules for fasting and abstinence in the United States are:

Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on Ash
Wednesday, Good Friday, and all the Fridays of Lent.
Every person between the age of 18 and 59 (beginning of 60th year) must fast on Ash Wednesday
and Good Friday.
Every person 14 years of age or older must abstain from meat (and items made with meat) on all
other Fridays of the year, unless he or she substitutes some other form of penance for abstinence.

According to the USCCB:[27]

Abstinence laws consider that meat comes only from animals such as chickens, cows, sheep or pigs --- all
of which live on land. Birds are also considered meat. Abstinence does not include meat juices and liquid
foods made from meat. Thus, such foods as chicken broth, consomme, soups cooked or flavored with
meat, meat gravies or sauces, as well as seasonings or condiments made from animal fat are technically
not forbidden. However, moral theologians have traditionally taught that we should abstain from all
animal-derived products (except foods such as gelatin, butter, cheese and eggs, which do not have any
meat taste). Fish are a different category of animal. Salt and freshwater species of fish, amphibians,
reptiles, (cold-blooded animals) and shellfish are permitted.

Because of this, some Catholic parishes in the United States sponsor a fish fry during Lent.[28] In predominantly
Roman Catholic areas, restaurants may adjust their menus during Lent by adding seafood items to the menu in an
attempt to appeal to Roman Catholics.[29] However, the same USCCB website says that:

While fish, lobster and other shellfish are not considered meat and can be consumed on days of
abstinence, indulging in the lavish buffet at your favorite seafood place sort of misses the point.
Abstaining from meat and other indulgences during Lent is a penitential practice.

The USCCB also states that:

Those that are excused from fast and abstinence outside the age limits include the physically or mentally
ill including individuals suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes. Also excluded are pregnant or
nursing women. In all cases, common sense should prevail, and ill persons should not further jeopardize
their health by fasting.

In 2010, Archbishop of New Orleans Gregory Michael Aymond clarified that alligator is also considered seafood,
saying "Yes, the alligator's considered in the fish family, and I agree with you — God has created a magnificent
creature that is important to the state of Louisiana, and it is considered seafood." This was in response to a letter from
a local alligator wrangler.[30]

Eastern practice
To fast customarily means to only eat one meal during the day, and to avoid animal products. Eastern Christians view
fasting as one part of repentance and supporting a spiritual change of heart. Eastern Christians observe two major
times of fasting, the "Great Fast" before Easter, and "Phillip's Fast" before the Nativity.

During the Great Fast, meat, eggs, dairy products, fish and oil are avoided.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 5/8
2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

The fast period before Christmas is called "Philip's Fast" because it begins after the feast day of St. Philip. Specific
practices vary, but on some days during the week meat, dairy products and (in some countries) oil are avoided, while
on other days there is no restriction. During approximately the last week before the Nativity, typically meat, dairy, eggs
and oil are avoided on all days, meals are moderate in quantity, and no food is taken between meals.[31]

Eucharistic Fast
In addition to the fasts mentioned above, Roman Catholics must also observe the Eucharistic Fast, which involves
taking nothing but water and medicines into the body for some time before receiving the Eucharist. The earliest
recorded regular practice was to eat at home before the Lord's Supper if one was hungry (I Corinthians 11:34). The
next known ancient practice was to fast from midnight until Mass that day. As Masses after noon and in the evening
became common in the West, this was soon modified to fasting for three hours. The latest Code of Canon Law reduced
the Eucharistic Fast to the current one-hour requirement for the Roman Rite. Particular law in some Eastern Catholic
Churches also requires a one-hour Eucharistic fast.

See also
Christian vegetarianism
Friday Fast

References
Notes

1. Canon 1253 – Observance of Fast and Abstinence http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-

believe/canon-law/complementary-norms/canons-1252-and-1253-observance-of-fast-and-abstinence.cfm.
Accessed 21 Feb 2013.
2. Canon 1253 – Observance of Fast and Abstinence http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-
believe/canon-law/complementary-norms/canons-1252-and-1253-observance-of-fast-and-abstinence.cfm.
Accessed 21 Feb 2013.
3. http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19631204_sacrosanctum-
concilium_en.html
4. Carolyn Walkup (December 8, 2003). "You can take the girl out of Wisconsin, but the lure of its food remains" (htt
p://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_49_37/ai_111404189). Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved
2009-02-25.
5. O'Neill, James David. "Abstinence." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company,
1907. 1 Nov. 2014 (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01067a.htm)
6. Feldmeier, Peter and Ozdemir, Adil. "Fasting", University of St. Thomas (https://www.stthomas.edu/mcdc/topics/fa
sting/) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20141102050156/https://www.stthomas.edu/mcdc/topics/fasting/)
2014-11-02 at the Wayback Machine.
7. Thurston, Herbert. "Lent." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 1 Nov.
2014 (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm)
8. O'Neill, James David. "The Black Fast." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company,
1907. 1 Nov. 2014 (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02590c.htm)
9. [1] (http://www.chowdc.org/Papers/Saunders%202001.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/200909301129
45/http://www.chowdc.org/Papers/Saunders%202001.html) September 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
10. "Lenten Reader Roundup" (http://www.jimmyakin.org/2005/02/lent_roundup.html). Jimmy Akin.Org. Retrieved
2010-03-15.
11. (in French)Lacoursière, Jacques. Une histoire du Québec ISBN 2-89448-050-4 Explains that Bishop François de
Laval in the 17th century posed the question to the theologians of the Sorbonne, who ruled in favour of this
decision.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 6/8
2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

12. Ellsworth, Brian (March 24, 2005). "In Days Before Easter, Venezuelans Tuck Into Rodent-Related Delicacy" (htt
p://www.nysun.com/foreign/in-days-before-easter-venezuelans-tuck-into/11063/). New York Sun. New York Sun.
Retrieved 3 December 2014.
13. Reilley, Lucas (18 April 2014). "Why Isn't Fish Considered Meat During Lent?" (http://mentalfloss.com/article/5620
5/why-isnt-fish-considered-meat-during-lent). Mental Floss. Mental Floss, Inc. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
14. The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas (http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3147.htm) II. 147:8 provides
legal foundation on which theologians argued in favour of beaver being like fish.
15. "1983 Code of Canon Law" (https://web.archive.org/web/20111115004422/http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG110
4/__P4O.HTM). The Holy See. Archived from the original (http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM)
on 2011-11-15. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
16. Colin B. Donovan, STL. "The Holy Season of Lent" (http://www.ewtn.com/faith/lent/fast.htm). EWTN. Retrieved
2009-02-25.
17. "To text is to sin" (http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10560485). New Zealand
Herald. 8 March 2009.
18. https://www.catholic.org.au/acbc-media/downloads/all-downloads/bishops-1/handbook-1/1401-complementary-
legislation-for-australia-1/file
19. Biddle, Matthew. "Some Australian bishops suggest restoring year-round Friday abstinence", Catholic News
Service, March 17, 2014 (https://archive.is/20141102004810/http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/14011
03.htm)
20. http://catholicleader.com.au/analysis/appetite-for-friday-abstinence-returns
21. Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops – Keeping Friday (http://www.cccb.ca/site/index.php?option=com_cont
ent&view=article&id=2319&Itemid=1226)
22. http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2011/05/16/the-restoration-of-the-friday-fast-is-a-historic-day-
for-english-and-welsh-catholics/
23. "Friday Penance" (http://www.catholicbishops.ie/wp-content/uploads/images/stories/features/Friday_penance/pen
ace_friday_for%20web.pdf) (PDF). 23 November 2010.
24. US Conference of Catholic Bishops (November 18, 1966). "Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence" (htt
p://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year/lent/us-bishops-pastoral-statement-on-penance-and-abstine
nce.cfm). Retrieved 2014-02-23.
25. Canon 1253 – Observance of Fast and Abstinence http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-
believe/canon-law/complementary-norms/canons-1252-and-1253-observance-of-fast-and-abstinence.cfm.
Accessed 21 Feb 2013.
26. Richert, Scott P., What Are the Rules for Fasting and Abstinence in the Catholic Church?,
http://catholicism.about.com/od/catholicliving/f/Fasting_Rules.htm, Accessed 21 Feb 2013.
27. "Questions and Answers about Lent and Lenten Practices" (http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-ye
ar/lent/questions-and-answers-about-lent.cfm). United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved
8 January 2016.
28. Connie Mabin (March 2, 2007). "For Lent, Parishes Lighten Up Fish Fry" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy
n/content/article/2007/03/02/AR2007030201304.html). Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
29. Bill Carlino (February 19, 1990). "Seafood promos aimed to 'lure' Lenten observers" (http://findarticles.com/p/articl
es/mi_m3190/is_n8_v24/ai_8552611). Nation's Restaurant News. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
30. Tina Antolini (March 25, 2013). "Forget Fish Fridays: In Louisiana, Gator Is On The Lenten Menu" (http://www.npr.
org/blogs/thesalt/2013/03/27/175058833/forget-fish-fridays-in-louisiana-gator-is-on-the-lenten-menu). NPR.
Retrieved 2014-03-31.
31. Our Lady of Fatima Byzantine Catholic Church. "Phillip's Fast" (https://web.archive.org/web/20101208234402/htt
p://www.byzantinecatholic.org/Feasts/FastNativity1.html). Archived from the original (http://www.byzantinecatholic.
org/Feasts/FastNativity1.html) on 2010-12-08. Retrieved 12 July 2013.

Further reading

JD O'Neill (1913). "Fast". In Herbermann, Charles. Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton
Company.
Pope Paul VI. (1966). "Paenitemini" (https://web.archive.org/web/20060429165754/http://www.vatican.va/holy_fat
her/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217_paenitemini_en.html). The Vatican. Archived

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 7/8
2/15/2018 Fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church - Wikipedia

from the original (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/paul_vi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-vi_apc_19660217

_paenitemini_en.html) on 2006-04-29.

External links
Women for Faith & Family (https://web.archive.org/web/20060621164207/http://www.wf-f.org/FastandAbstinence.
html) – includes texts of Canon law
Duffy, Eamon. "To Fast Again", The Tablet, January 31, 2004 (http://www.firstthings.com/article/2005/03/to-fast-ag
ain)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church&oldid=825731109"

This page was last edited on 15 February 2018, at 02:22.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasting_and_abstinence_in_the_Catholic_Church 8/8