Can Catholics eat meat on St. Patrick’s Day? Some dioceses grant dispensations

This year St. Patrick’s Day coincides with Lenten Friday, when Catholics traditionally abstain from meat. But after supplying several dioceses across the United States, some Catholics will be able to join.

Lenten loopholes have been allowed in several cities, including BostonWashington, DC, and in both the dioceses covered New York City.

“This year, the feast of St. Patrick, the patron saint of our Archdiocese, falls on a Friday during Lent. Given the importance of this feast in the life of the Archdiocese and in the lives of many Catholics, Cardinal Sian is offering a reward. March 17 2023 from the Friday Lenten abstinence for those who wish to take advantage of this opportunity,” the Archdiocese of Boston wrote in a statement. “It’s just a day’s division.”

The split would allow Catholics to eat classic St. Patrick’s Day foods like corned beef and cabbage and shepherd’s pie.

Catholic leaders in Houston, Milwaukee, Phoenix, Cleveland and Minneapolis issued a similar distribution. Dioceses stressed that Catholics who intend to eat meat should visit churches, engage in good works and perform other acts of penance to atone for eating meat on Fridays. I Washington DC, The archdiocese advised that Catholics who eat meat on St. Patrick’s Day should refrain from eating meat on any other day during Lent.

Catholics in Chicago General Dispensation not found.

“Instead, Catholics who find themselves at an event where meat is served in celebration of St. Patrick may, in good conscience, combine the general principle of abstinence with some other significant act of penance or charity. can be changed to benefit the poor,” the Archdiocese of Chicago wrote in a statement. “Regardless, it is important to take seriously the obligation to observe Fridays in Lent as a way of uniting ourselves with Jesus who died on Good Friday. This is not to be underestimated. should go as we contemplate his sacrifice on the cross for the salvation of the world. In this holy season.”