MANILA, Philippines – Ever accidentally eaten a piece of meat during Holy Week and thought, “Hala! I forgot it’s Holy Week!”?
While many Filipino Catholics choose to abstain from meat throughout Holy Week, Church laws actually only prohibit it on specific days: Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Fridays during Lent. Good Friday is the only day that falls within Holy Week.
So why do we abstain from flesh meat on days of penance?
Historical roots
Abstinence is an old, long-established tradition within the Catholic Church. According to the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, “from the first century, the day of the crucifixion has been traditionally observed as a day of abstaining from flesh meat to honor Christ who sacrificed his flesh on a Friday.”
In short, because Christ was crucified — “sacrificed his flesh” — on a Friday, canon law originally called for abstinence from meat or “flesh” every Friday of the year.
Since then, the rule has been revised to apply mainly to Fridays during Lent. Outside of Lent, Catholics are encouraged to choose another form of penance, as long as it means something to them personally.
The weeklong prohibition during Holy Week is likely a Filipino custom, taken on as a personal choice or additional sacrifice.
Filipino practice
In the Philippines, bishops support abstinence on Fridays during Lent. “We can skip eating meat on Fridays as part of our penitence and personal sacrifice in remembrance of the hardships that the Lord offered for our salvation,” Bishop Broderick Pabillo said, echoing canon law.
Pabillo also recommends returning to the original practice, saying people can skip meat on Fridays “not only during Lent but on a regular basis.”
Choosing to take on additional sacrifices is ultimately up to the individual and how they choose to honor Christ’s suffering.
In a predominantly Catholic country, even the government’s official news agency reminds Filipinos to abstain from meat during Lent.
According to Church laws, Catholics aged 14 and above are required to observe abstinence. “Flesh meat” includes beef, pork, poultry, the flesh and organs of mammals, and sometimes, even soups and gravies made from them.
Seafood is allowed. – Bea Gatmaytan/Rappler.com
Bea Gatmaytan is a Rappler intern studying Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature at the University of the Philippines Diliman.