The Sacredness and Strictness of the Good Friday Fast

Good Friday stands as the most solemn day of the entire liturgical year. On this day, the Church does not offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The altar is stripped. The faithful kneel before the Cross and venerate the instrument of our salvation. It is the day on which Our Blessed Lord suffered and died for the redemption of mankind.

Because of this, the Church has always attached to Good Friday the strictest fast of the entire year.

The Law of the Church Today

Even in our modern age of reduced discipline, Good Friday remains one of only two days when both fasting and abstinence are required under penalty of sin.

According to the current Code of Canon Law:

• All Catholics aged 14 and older must abstain from meat
• All Catholics aged 18 to 59 must fast

Abstinence forbids the consumption of flesh meat—namely the flesh of mammals and birds—as well as soups or gravies made from them. Fish and shellfish are permitted. Eggs and dairy, which were once forbidden during Lent, are now allowed under current law.

Fasting, as defined today, permits:

• One full meal
• Two smaller meals (collations), which together do not equal a second full meal
• No eating between meals

Liquids such as water, coffee, and even milk are permitted. While these laws bind under pain of sin, they represent only a minimal standard, not the fullness of Catholic tradition.

The Traditional Discipline: Far More Severe

Historically, Good Friday was observed with profound austerity. For centuries, the faithful kept what was known as the Passion Fast. This meant no food throughout the day Even when food was taken, it was extremely limited:

• Bread
• Water
• Herbs

No meat, no eggs, no dairy, and often no oil. This was not considered excessive. It was considered fitting.

As explained in The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence, the Good Friday fast was always understood as the most intense expression of penance in the entire liturgical year. The Church’s later mitigations reflect a softening of discipline—not a change in the importance of the day.

The Passion Fast: Extending Beyond One Day

Traditionally, the Good Friday fast did not stand alone. It formed part of what was called the Passion Fast. In earlier centuries, Catholics:

• Fasted strictly on Good Friday
• Continued fasting into Holy Saturday
• Broke the fast only at noon on Holy Saturday or after the Easter Vigil

This prolonged fast united the faithful not only to Christ’s death but also to His time in the tomb. As noted in Lenten Comparisons Over the Centuries this practice deepened the penitential character of Holy Week and prepared the soul more fittingly for the joy of Easter.

More Than the Bare Minimum

The modern tendency is to ask: “What is the least I must do?”

But Good Friday demands a different question: “What is fitting for the death of Christ?”

While the Church binds us only to a minimal fast, Catholics who are able should strive to recover something of the older spirit by:

• Further reducing the quantity of food
• Simplifying meals to the bare essentials
• Avoiding all unnecessary comforts
• Extending the fast into Holy Saturday where possible

Of course, prudence must be exercised. Those with health concerns or serious obligations are not required to undertake extreme austerities. But for those who can do more, they should do more.

Teaching the Spirit of Penance

Even though the law binds only those above certain ages, the spirit of Good Friday should be instilled in all.

Children can:

• Abstain from meat
• Eat simpler meals
• Offer small sacrifices

In this way, they learn that Good Friday is not merely remembered—it is lived.

Conclusion

Good Friday is not an ordinary day. It is the day on which the Son of God died for our sins. The fasting and abstinence of this day are not arbitrary rules. They are acts of reparation, discipline, and love. 

In a world that avoids sacrifice, Catholics are called to embrace it.

Let us not treat this day lightly. Let us fast with seriousness. Let us abstain with reverence. Let us unite ourselves to the Cross. Let us keep silence especially from 12 Noon through 3 PM. 

For on this day, Christ gave everything for us.

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Eggs in the History of Catholic Fasting and Abstinence

Of all the changes in Catholic fasting and abstinence across the centuries, few are as striking as the regulation of eggs. Today, Catholics rarely think of eggs as a “penitential food,” but for well over a millennium they were strictly forbidden during Lent, alongside dairy and animal fat. Understanding the history of these rules helps us appreciate both the rigor of earlier generations and the cultural traditions that flowed from them as detailed in The Definite Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

1. The Ancient and Patristic Church

Early Christian fasting was extraordinarily strict.

Dr. K.A. Heinrich Kellner records that in the ancient Church, especially in Holy Week, food was reduced to bread, salt, and water. The Apostolic Constitutions forbade flesh and wine for all of Lent and prescribed total abstinence on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. St. John Chrysostom testifies that in Antioch, no flesh was eaten during the whole of Lent. Crucially, milk and eggs (lacticinia) were also excluded as a general rule.

The Council of Trullo (692) confirmed this universality, forbidding the eating of eggs and cheese in Lent, even on Sundays, under penalty of deposition for clerics and excommunication for laymen (Canon 56).

Thus, from the earliest centuries, Lenten fasting meant abstaining not only from meat but also from dairy, eggs, and animal products.

2. Pope St. Gregory the Great and the Medieval Consensus

In 604, Pope St. Gregory the Great summarized the law succinctly: “We abstain from flesh meat and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese, and eggs.”

This form endured for nearly a thousand years. Whenever fasting was observed, abstinence was also observed. Thus: Lent = no meat, no eggs, no dairy, no animal products.

By the time of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Lenten fast still forbade lacticinia, while Fridays and other non-Lenten abstinence days had already relaxed to permit dairy and eggs. This distinction became fixed: Lent retained the stricter prohibition, while non-Lenten abstinence was milder.

3. Culture and Custom

From this tradition arose beloved customs:

• Shrove Tuesday pancakes used up eggs and butter before Lent.
• Easter eggs became a festive symbol of the Resurrection precisely because they were absent for 46 days.

In some countries, exceptions were made. As Fr. Francis Weiser notes, Scandinavia was never bound to strict lacticinia abstinence because substitutes were scarce; dispensations were common, often accompanied by pious almsgiving.

Even so, the general discipline remained firm until the modern era.

4. 19th-Century Relaxations

By the 19th century, the Church had begun granting wider concessions.

In 1886, Pope Leo XIII permitted meat, eggs, and dairy on Sundays of Lent and at the main meal on every weekday except Wednesday and Friday in the United States. Holy Saturday was excluded. This marked a decisive relaxation.

Mara Morrow notes that Leo XIII also allowed eggs and dairy at the evening collation daily during Lent and permitted bread with coffee or chocolate in the morning. These mitigations were part of a broader trend: the use of lard and meat drippings was allowed, and those exempt from fasting could eat eggs and milk more than once a day.

A 1905 Irish catechism by Fr. Patrick Power still listed milk, butter, cheese, and eggs as forbidden in Lent, though he acknowledged that some countries allowed milk at collation. Dispensation varied widely by nation.

5. The 1917 Code of Canon Law

The 1917 Code decisively ended the universal prohibition of lacticinia during Lent. 

• Canon 1250: abstinence forbids meat and soups made with meat, “but not eggs, milk, and other condiments, even if taken from animals.”
• Canon 1251: mixing meat and fish in the same meal was permitted.

From this point, eggs and dairy were no longer excluded by law, even during Lent. The ancient and medieval practice was officially abrogated.

6. Mid-20th Century Clarifications

By the 1950s, theologians such as Fr. Dominic Prümmer explained the law clearly: abstinence forbade flesh meat and broth, but not eggs, dairy, or animal fats. In case of doubt, one was free to eat, since the law did not bind in uncertainty.

Thus, by mid-century, eggs were firmly reclassified as a permitted food on both fasting and abstinence days.

7. Today’s Law

Under the 1983 Code of Canon Law:

• Fasting (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday): one full meal and two smaller meals, no restriction on eggs.
• Abstinence (Fridays of Lent): no meat, but eggs fully permitted.
• Year-round Friday penance remains binding, but abstinence from eggs is nowhere in view.

8. Conclusion

For more than a millennium, the Catholic Church’s Lenten discipline excluded not only meat but also eggs and dairy. This practice, deeply rooted in the patristic and medieval Church, gave rise to traditions such as Easter eggs and Shrove Tuesday pancakes. Outside Lent, however, abstinence days rarely included eggs after the early Middle Ages.

From Pope St. Gregory the Great through St. Thomas Aquinas, lacticinia abstinence was normative in Lent. Dispensations and mitigations appeared over time, culminating in Pope Leo XIII’s late-19th-century relaxations and the 1917 Code’s universal allowance of eggs and dairy. Today, the Church’s law requires only abstinence from meat, leaving eggs entirely permitted.

Still, some Catholics voluntarily restore the older discipline of giving up eggs and dairy during Lent, rediscovering a penitential practice that once united Christendom and sanctified the approach to Easter.

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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Is Friday Abstinence Required When Assumption Day Falls on a Friday?

Assumption by Martin Knoller

Assumption Day As A Holy Day of Obligation

The first catalog of Holy Days comes from the Decree of Gratian in c. 1150 AD, which shortly thereafter gave way to Decretals of Pope Gregory IX in 1234, which listed 45 Holy Days.

In 1642, His Holiness Pope Urban VIII issued the papal bull Universa Per Orbem which mandated the required Holy Days of Obligation for the Universal Church to consist of 34 days as well as the principal patrons of one's one locality (e.g. city and country). Those days were the Nativity of Our Lord, the Circumcision of Our Lord, the Epiphany of Our Lord, Monday within the Octave of the Resurrection, Tuesday within the Octave of the Resurrection, Ascension Thursday, Monday within the Octave of Pentecost, Tuesday within the Octave of Pentecost, Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, the Finding of the Holy Cross, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Dedication of St. Michael, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. John (the December feast day), St. Thomas, SS. Philip and James, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, SS. Simon and Jude, St. Matthias, St. Stephen the First Martyr (the December feast day), the Holy Innocents, St. Lawrence, St. Sylvester, St. Joseph, St. Anne, and All Saints.  

Hence, Assumption Day was a Holy Day of Obligation long before the dogma of the Assumption was dogmatically defined.

Is Friday Abstinence Required When Assumption Day (August 15) Falls on a Friday?

Since August 15 this year falls on a Friday and is a Holy Day of Obligation, a question arises on whether abstinence is obligatory this Friday. The answer, as clearly stated in the 1917 Code, is as follows:

"On [Sundays] or feasts of precept, the law of abstinence or of abstinence and fast or of fast only ceases, except during Lent, nor is the vigil anticipated; likewise it ceases on Holy [Saturday] afternoon" (1917 Code, Canon 1252 § 4). [Translation taken from THE 1917 OR PIO-BENEDICTINE CODE OF CANON LAW in English Translation by Dr. Edward Peters]

As Assumption Day falls outside of Lent, this Friday is not a day of mandatory abstinence. However, this was actually a change from the practice observed for well over 1,000 years.

Dispensations From Abstinence Were Previously Required Even for Holy Days of Obligation Outside of Lent

Even Christmas would in and of itself not dispense Friday abstinence in the Medieval Church, as Dom Gueranger writes in the Liturgical Year published in 1886:

"To encourage her children in their Christmas joy, the Church has dispensed with the law of abstinence, if this Feast fall on a Friday. This dispensation was granted by Pope Honorius III, who ascended the Papal Throne in 1216. It is true that we find it mentioned by Pope St Nicholas I, in the ninth century; but the dispensation was not universal; for the Pontiff is replying to the consultations of the Bulgarians, to whom he concedes this indulgence, in order to encourage them to celebrate these Feasts with solemnity and joy: Christmas Day, St Stephen, St John the Evangelist, the Epiphany, the Assumption of our Lady, St John the Baptist, and SS Peter and Paul. When the dispensation for Christmas Day was extended to the whole Church, these other Feasts were not mentioned."

Previously, a dispensation was required by the Holy Father even on Holy Days of Obligation that fell outside of Lent. Two examples indicating this are Pope Leo XIII's 1890 dispensation for Assumption Day and a 1907 dispensation issued for Canada for All Saints Day. All Saints Day was, at that time, a Holy Day of Obligation in Canada.

The Catholic Encyclopedia on St. Pius X's Supremi disciplinæ indicates that fasting was abolished eo ipso only starting in 1911 for all Holy Days of Obligation outside of Lent (which were at the same time reduced to only 8): "The present Motu Proprio institutes another important change in legislation. As feasting and fasting are incompatible, Pius X has abolished the obligation of fasting as well as that of abstinence for the Universal Church, should such obligation coincide with any of the eight feasts, as above." 

Thus, while eating meat this Friday is not a sin, it would be meritorious to continue to observe Friday abstinence in honor of the nearly 1,800 year-old tradition that preceded the 1917 Code. If we choose to do so, let us offer it up through our Lady's intercession for the conversion of sinners who violate the laws of the Church and do not attend Holy Mass on days of precept like Assumption Day.

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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Is Abstinence Required on Civil Holidays?

For Traditional Catholics seeking to preserve the venerable customs of penance and prayer, the question naturally arises in 2025: Since July 4th falls on a Friday this year, are we still obligated to abstain from meat?

In today’s Church, the answer would be no—abstinence on Fridays outside of Lent is only “especially recommended,” not required. But for those who strive to maintain the immemorial practices of the Church, the answer lies in a deeper look at history, law, and the exceptions once granted for civil holidays like Independence Day.

Traditional Law: Friday Abstinence Is the Norm

From the earliest centuries, Friday abstinence was a universal precept. As a weekly commemoration of the Passion of Our Lord, it was required throughout the year. This obligation continued with few interruptions until modern times. Even into the 20th century, the 1917 Code of Canon Law mandated abstinence from meat on all Fridays of the year unless a Holy Day of Obligation occurred on that day outside of Lent. Before, even Fridays that were Holy Days of Olbligation still required abstinence, Christmas Day being the only exception.

Importantly, July 4th—the United States' Independence Day—has never been a Holy Day of Obligation. Thus, under traditional law, it remained a day of required abstinence whenever it fell on a Friday.

The 1931 Indult for Civil Holidays

However, a notable exception was introduced in 1931. Cardinal Fumasoni Biondi, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, communicated a special indult from Pope Pius XI allowing American bishops, ad quinquennium (for five years), to dispense from the laws of fasting and abstinence on civil holidays. As he wrote:

“The Sacred Congregation of the Council, in a letter dated 15 Oct 1931, informs me that, in view of the difficulties experienced by the faithful in observing the laws of fast and abstinence on civil holidays, His Holiness, Pius XI... granted to all the Ordinaries of the United States... the faculty to dispense their subjects from the laws in question whenever any of the civil holidays now observed occurs on a day of fast and abstinence, or of abstinence.”

This privilege, while notable, was:

• Temporary: It lasted only five years unless renewed.
• Discretionary: Bishops could exercise this faculty but were not required to.
• Not self-executing: The faithful could not assume they were dispensed unless their bishop officially declared it.

Even into the 1950s and early 1960s, bishops selectively used this privilege. Some issued formal dispensations when a civil holiday fell on a Friday (e.g., the day after Thanksgiving), but others did not.

Independence Day: No Permanent Dispensation

There was never a permanent, universal dispensation from Friday abstinence for the Fourth of July.

Unlike myths surrounding the so-called “turkey indult” for the day after Thanksgiving, there is no documented perpetual exemption for meat consumption on Independence Day—even under Pope Pius XII or John XXIII. Any dispensation from Friday abstinence on July 4th had to be granted explicitly by the local bishop and typically appeared in diocesan announcements or parish bulletins.

Furthermore, by 1962—the benchmark year for many traditional Catholics—the universal law was still clear: unless July 4th was a Holy Day of Obligation (which it was not), or unless a specific diocesan dispensation was announced, the law of abstinence applied.

What Changed After Vatican II?

With Paenitemini in 1966, Paul VI allowed bishops’ conferences to substitute other forms of penance for Friday abstinence. The U.S. bishops followed suit, and Friday abstinence became “especially recommended,” but no longer binding under pain of sin outside of Lent.

This relaxation, coupled with the dramatic reduction in fasting days, has contributed to a massive weakening of Catholic penitential identity. But for those attached to the Traditional Latin Mass and the older calendar, fidelity to the traditional norms remains a vital part of living the liturgical life.

So, What Should a Traditional Catholic Do on Friday, July 4, 2025?

Unless a competent traditional priest or bishop explicitly dispenses the faithful from abstinence, the traditional law remains binding. Independence Day—though a civic holiday—is not a feast of the Church, and it has never been granted a permanent exception. Thus, traditional Catholics should abstain from meat on Friday, July 4th, 2025.

This act of penance is not a rejection of patriotism but a higher form of devotion: honoring the sacred customs of the Church above the shifting preferences of modernity.

Recovering a Lost Rhythm

Throughout the past two centuries, Catholic discipline in America has steadily waned. From a time of over 30 Holy Days of Obligation, year-round Saturday abstinence, and strict fasting regulations, we now find ourselves with a minimal observance required under current law.

But as St. Francis de Sales wisely said, “If you’re able to fast, you will do well to observe some days beyond what are ordered by the Church.”

For those who long to recover the rhythm of Catholic life, the solution lies not in waiting for mandates, but in choosing to voluntarily embrace tradition. This July 4th, let us abstain from meat, pray for our nation, and offer up our penance for the conversion of America and the restoration of Catholic order.

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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Honor the Forgotten (Former) 36 Holy Days of Obligation

The Land Without Holy Days

“…So also, from the earliest ages, the Christian Church instituted and religiously solemnized various feasts, differing in different countries, and varying according to times and circumstances, principally intended to keep in grateful and loving memory the chief mysteries of our Blessed Saviour's life, the glories and prerogatives of His Immaculate Mother, the example and heroic sanctity of the saints. . . . Blessed festivals, they are green, refreshing oases in the desert of our dreary, plodding life, and not a doubt, but they tend materially to keep alive the spirit of piety." 

With these words, Bishop Stephen Ryan of Buffalo addressed the bishops and theologians who had crowded into the former Cathedral in Baltimore. The occasion was the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore, which began in late 1884. The Council Fathers set to address a number of issues affecting Catholic life in the United States which had reached its then-disjointed arrangement through the acquisition of various terrorities each with their own customs and ecceslestical laws. Unbeknowst to many, days of fasting and abstinence in addition to holy days of obligation varied widely in what constituted the United States of America due to these historical differences. Could uniformity be obtained even though prior attempts to do so had failed? And in hindsight, should uniformity – at least in the manner sought – have even been attempted?

The history of America’s holy days of obligation highlights a complex network of unique customs, varied cultural traditions, and an overarching lack of fervor over time. In an era with so few Holy Days of Obligation, what have we lost? And should this be remedied? And what can this teach modern Catholics?

Holy Days of Obligation Over Time

In 1911, Pope St. Pius X reduced the number of Holy Days of Obligation from 36 to 8, although which places observed the holy days were not uniform at all beforehand.  Shortly thereafter, the 1917 Code of Canon Law increased the number to 10 by adding back Corpus Christi and Ss. Joseph. Those ten on the Universal Calendar have remained the same ever since.

However, the Holy Days up until 1911 reveal something quite interesting as all of the feasts of the Apostles were Holy Days of Obligation on the Universal Calendar as were many other days like St. Anne, the May 3rd Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, and so many other days which are now forgotten. The feasts of the Apostles were raised to public holidays back in 932 AD as Father Weiser relates (p. 279), for instance.

The 36 Holy Days of Obligation on the Universal Calendar back in 1642 under Pope Urban VIII included:

1. Nativity of our Lord
2. Circumcision of our Lord
3. Epiphany of the Lord
4. Monday within the Octave of the Resurrection
5. Tuesday within the Octave of the Resurrection
6. Ascension
7. Monday within the Octave of Pentecost
8. Tuesday within the Octave of Pentecost
9. Most Holy Trinity
10. Most Holy Body of Christ
11. Finding of the Holy Cross
12. Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
13. Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
14. Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
15. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
16. Dedication of St. Michael
17. Nativity of St. John Baptist
18. Ss. Peter and Paul
19. St. Andrew
20. St. James
21. St. John (the December feastday)
22. St. Thomas
23. Ss. Philip and James
24. St. Bartholomew
25. St. Matthew
26. Ss. Simon and Jude
27. St. Matthias
28. St. Stephen (the December feastday)
29. The Holy Innocents
30. St. Lawrence
31. St. Sylvester
32. St. Joseph
33. St. Anne
34. All Saints Day
35. The Principle Patrons of One’s Country, City, etc.

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was added in 1708 so it not on 1642 list.

In times past there was also a distinction made of days of double versus single precept. Days of double precept required both hearing Mass and refraining from servile works, whereas days of single precept were working holy days permitting work but still requiring Mass attendance.

Consequently, the number of Holy Days of Obligation in the United States as of the Second Vatican Council had already been significantly reduced from their previous state. Holy Days of Obligation, which had remained the same in the United States since 1917, were further modified in the latter part of the 20th century.  On December 13, 1991, the United States Bishops issued a directive further abrogating New Years Day (the Circumcision of our Lord), the Assumption, or All Saints in years when the feast falls on a Saturday or a Monday. And on March 23, 1992, in another reduction, the Bishop of Honolulu obtained an indult from the Holy See and approval from the United States episcopal conference to reduce the Holy Days of Obligation to only Christmas and the Immaculate Conception. 

Holy Days of Obligation Before 1900

Published in 1886, the eleventh volume of the American Catholic Quarterly Review offers an insightful series of reflections on Holy Days with a call for us to observe these as our forefathers in the Faith gladly did:

"The Church by one of her positive commandments requires the faithful to sanctify certain holydays in the year by taking part in the offering of the great sacrifice of the Mass and by abstaining from servile works... In the days of faith and fervor not only were the great festivals prescribed by the Church, those associated with the life of our Lord and His Blessed Mother, those intimately connected with the work of redemption, and the feasts of the holy apostles by whose ministry the Church was established and the channels of grace led through the world - not only were these kept reverently but the patronal feast of each country, diocese, and church, the days of the most famous local saints were similarly honored. The devotion was general, and whoso refused to lay aside his implements of trade or traffic on their days was so condemned by public opinion that custom made the law.” 

Interestingly, because the Church enjoined on the Faithful both the obligation to hear Mass and the necessity to refrain from servile work, the number of holy days, which included Sundays, was significant. Some people began to revolt against the Church claiming that these practices only increased poverty. But as the Journal notes, an interesting phenomenon occurred:

"Protestantism therefore at once swept away all the holydays and Christmas remained almost alone to represent the Church calendar, and the Puritans even punished those who kept Christmas. With men working all the year round except on Sunday, wealth was to be general, the poor would thrive and prosper and be happy and contented, no longer lured from great and ennobling labor by being called away every week to idle some days in church and prayer. It was again unfortunate that this excellent theory did not work well. The poor seemed to grow actually poorer with all these days of labor than they had been before." 

The first catalog of Holy Days comes from the Decree of Gratian in c. 1150 AD, which shortly thereafter gave way to Decretals of Pope Gregory IX in 1234, which listed 45 Holy Days. As the Catholic Encyclopedia summarizes regarding this period:

“The Decree of Gratian (about 1150) mentions forty-one feasts besides the diocesan patronal celebrations; the Decretals of Gregory IX (about 1233) mention forty-five public feasts and Holy Days, which means eighty-five days when no work could be done and ninety-five days when no court sessions could be held. In many provinces eight days after Easter, in some also the week after Pentecost (or at least four days), had the sabbath rest. From the thirteenth to the eighteenth century there were dioceses in which the Holy Days and Sundays amounted to over one hundred, not counting the feasts of particular monasteries and churches. In the Byzantine empire there were sixty-six entire Holy Days (Constitution of Manuel Comnenus, in 1166), exclusive of Sundays, and twenty-seven half Holy Days. In the fifteenth century, Gerson, Nicolas de Clémanges and others protested against the multiplication of feasts, as an oppression of the poor, and proximate occasions of excesses. The long needed reduction of feast days was made by Urban VIII (Universa per orbem, 13 Sept., 1642).” 

In 1642, His Holiness Pope Urban VIII issued the papal bull Universa Per Orbem which mandated the required Holy Days of Obligation for the Universal Church to consist of 34 days as well as the principal patrons of one's one locality (e.g. city and country). Ultimately Universa Per Orbem helped bring more uniformity to the Church since some parts of the Catholic world observed even more holy days of double precept (i.e. mandatory attendance at Mass and rest from servile work). The previous list of Holy Days of Obligation found in the Decretals also included Holy Monday through Holy Saturday in addition to Easter Wednesday through Easter Saturday.  These days had ceased being Holy Days by 1642. 

Holy Days in Young America

After the American Revolution, the Catholics in the 13 colonies that constituted the new United States of America were under the jurisdiction of the Apostolic Vicariate of the London District until the Diocese of Baltimore was established on November 6, 1789. This included the area of Maine that previously had been part of Quebec.

The first major change to the holy days of Americans came about through the lands purchased in 1803 from France in the Louisiana Purchase. Owing to the persecution of Catholics in France after the French Revolution, Pope Pius VII on April 5, 1802, reduced the holy days of obligation for Catholics in France to only Christmas, Ascension, Assumption, and the Feast of All Saints. Spain, which was in possession of the Louisiana territory since 1763, agreed in 1801 to cede it back to Napoleon. Before even getting possession of the territory, he sold it to the United States in 1803. What is particularly interesting is that the Catholics of Louisiana – whose territory includes areas in modern-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, and Nebraska – adopted the reduced holy days granted to France in 1802.

A Divergence of Holy Days in the 1800s

As America expanded, there was a divergence in the days of precept. When Florida was purchased by the United States in 1821, its old holy days were maintained. And the same likewise occurred in the Texas territory when it was acquired by the United States in 1845. And this trend continued as America expanded westward as the American Catholic Quarterly Review observes:

"In the Second Plenary Council [of Baltimore] in 1866 the feast of the Immaculate Conception was made of obligation as it had been in Oregon, where the feast of St Peter and St Paul had retained its place with the Monday after Easter and Whit Sunday, St John the Baptist, Candlemas, and St Stephen. Pope Gregory XVI in 1837 dispensed all the dioceses then in the United States from the obligation as to Easter Monday and Whitsun Monday and in 1840 from that of the feast of St Peter and St Paul..." 

Uniformity of American Holy Days Established in 1885 

By the time of the Civil War, considerable changes had occurred to these holy days. It was not until the Third Plenary Council that uniformly was achieved, though at the cost of reducing the holy days observed by many Catholics in the New World as the Review laments:

"The effort to induce faithful to a more exact observance of holydays of obligation or least so far as hearing mass was concerned had not been successful. A general indifference prevailed. When zealous priests, to give servants and mechanics every opportunity to fulfil the obligation, had Mass celebrated at an early hour to permit them to attend it proceeding to their usual work, it was found that almost the persons to avail themselves of the opportunity would be a pious old women, while those of the very class for whose the Mass was thus offered were scarcely represented by a straggling individuals.

"The Fathers of the Council renewed their petition to the See and His Holiness Pope Leo XIII on the 31st of December 1885 transferred the solemnization of Corpus Christi to the Sunday following the feast and made the holydays of obligation in all of the United States to be thenceforward: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, Christmas Day, the feast of Circumcision, Ascension Day, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and the feast of All Saints. ” 

The Epiphany and Annunciation were no longer a Holy Day of Obligation in the United States – joining Easter Monday, Pentecost Monday, and St. Peter and Paul as working days. For even more history on how Holy Days of Obligation - and fasting days - changed in the New World before and after America's Foundation, see A History of Holy Days of Obligation & Fasting for American Catholics.

How Should Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation be Sanctified?

The Third Commandment commands us to “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” In its fulfillment under the New Law, this commandment obliges Catholics to sanctify Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation by participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and by refraining from servile work. The Catechism of the Council of Trent affirms that this is not merely a recommendation—it is a divine precept.

The Church further clarifies that all Sundays and all current Holy Days of Obligation are binding under pain of mortal sin. To deliberately skip Mass on such a day without a grave reason—such as serious illness or the inability to reasonably travel to Mass—is a mortal sin. And if a Catholic is unable to attend Mass for a legitimate reason, they should still sanctify the day as best they can: by reading the Missal, meditating on the day’s readings and prayers, and uniting themselves spiritually to the liturgy.

Sunday, moreover, is not only a day of rest and obligatory worship but a day for deeper immersion in the Faith. Traditionally, Catholics observed Sunday by attending Vespers or Benediction, praying the Rosary communally, engaging in spiritual reading, and avoiding unnecessary commerce or entertainment. It is a day to spend in quiet joy, family togetherness, and devotion. The faithful should use Sunday to read Catholic books, periodicals, and Scripture, to practice works of mercy, and to grow in virtue. See the article Top 10 Sunday Activities for Catholics for more.

Make a special effort to attend Mass on all of the former Holy Days of Obligation, if possible. While the current Holy Days of Obligation must still be observed under pain of sin, we should cultivate a desire to attend Mass frequently — even daily. The former Holy Days, though no longer obligatory, remain excellent occasions to rearrange your schedule and give special honor to God through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

With so many holy days reduced, and with priests largely not preaching on the necessity of attending Mass and of abstaining from servile works on them, the faithful have lost the sense of the sacred. Yet, as more Catholic seek to rediscover the Traditional Latin Mass and traditional fasting, voluntarily attending the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and abstaining from servile works on the former Holy Days of Obligation can help us sanctify time and hold dear to what our forefathers saw, in the words of Bishop Stephen Ryan, as “refreshing oases in the desert of our dreary, plodding life.”

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Safeguarding Your Soul in the Digital Age

"Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8)

In a world filled with increasing temptations at every turn—especially online—how do we remain faithful to God’s commandments, protect our families, and pursue holiness in a culture that normalizes impurity? The answer begins with serious resolve and concrete tools. That’s where Covenant Eyes comes in.

A Commandment Forgotten

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house: neither shalt thou desire his wife…nor anything that is his” (Exodus 20:17).

This commandment, often overshadowed by others, directly forbids coveting another human being—especially someone else’s spouse. It calls us to wage war against the interior sins of lust and unchaste desire. As Canon Francis Ripley wrote: “The Ninth Commandment forbids all willful consent to impure thoughts and desires and all willful pleasure in the irregular sexual promptings or motions of the flesh. That is, it forbids interior sins of thought and desire against the Sixth Commandment."

The Catechism of the Council of Trent goes further, stating that covetousness—the very desire to possess what does not belong to us—leads to breaking every other commandment. It is the root of all evil, and its most insidious form in our time is the sin of lust, especially through pornography.

The Silent Crisis of Our Time

Pornography is not a harmless indulgence. It destroys marriages, enslaves souls, ruins vocations, and invites grave spiritual danger. Every fully deliberate act of impurity, even interior, is a mortal sin. If unrepented, it separates the soul from God for eternity.

In past ages, these temptations were harder to access. Today, they are one tap away on every phone, tablet, or laptop.

Are you or someone you know struggling with online temptation? In today’s digital age, protecting yourself and your loved ones from harmful content is more urgent than ever. That’s where Covenant Eyes comes in—a powerful accountability and filtering software designed to help you build good habits and stay pure online.

Why Covenant Eyes?

Covenant Eyes is more than just a filter. It’s an accountability system. With real-time screen monitoring and detailed reports sent to a trusted friend or spiritual advisor, the software helps you take active steps to stay on the path of grace and avoid temptation before it begins.

Whether you're strengthening your own discipline or safeguarding your family, this is the solution you’ve been looking for. And as a reader of this blog, you can receive an exclusive discount by using the code ACATHOLICLIFE at signup.

Don’t wait—visit CovenantEyes.com and enter ACATHOLICLIFE to start your journey toward a safer and holier digital life today.

15 Ways to Fight the Sin of Lust and Guard Purity

While tools like Covenant Eyes are powerful, they must be paired with the spiritual weapons of the Church. Here are 15 tried-and-true Catholic practices for fighting sins against purity:

1. Receive Holy Communion frequently, even daily if in a state of grace.
2. Make a Spiritual Communion if you cannot attend Mass.
3. Consecrate yourself to the Blessed Virgin Mary, through St. Louis de Montfort or St. Maximilian Kolbe, and renew it daily.
4. Pray the Rosary daily for the virtue of chastity.
5. Say 3 Hail Marys each morning on your knees, asking for purity.
6. Wear the Brown Scapular always as a sign of Marian protection.
7. Invoke Mary immediately at the first sign of temptation.
8. Pray that Our Lady gives you a deep hatred of this vice.
9. Confess frequently to a regular confessor who knows your battle.
10. Meditate daily on the Four Last Things—Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell.
11. Practice the Presence of God—He sees all, even our thoughts.
12. Deny yourself small comforts like food and drink to grow in discipline.
13. Dress modestly and encourage others to do the same.
14. Engage in mental prayer 15–30 minutes a day, listening to God's voice.
15. Use accountability software like Covenant Eyes on all your devices. Let a trusted friend or family member set the password.

A Battle Worth Fighting

The fight for purity is not easy—but it is eternally worth it. Our Lord tells us, “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). To fall into sins of lust is to risk our eternal salvation. To fight them is to draw closer to Christ, who can purify even the most wounded heart.

We are not alone in this battle. Our Lady stands ready to help those who turn to her. The sacraments, good spiritual practices, and helpful tools like Covenant Eyes give us the weapons we need.

If you're serious about breaking free from online impurity—or helping someone else do so—start today.

👉 Visit CovenantEyes.com

👉 Use code ACATHOLICLIFE for an exclusive discount

👉 Begin a new chapter of hope, freedom, and grace

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The Certainty of Sainthood: How the Church Recognized Saints Through the Ages

Honoring the Saints

A saint is a person that lived a life of virtue, holiness, and union with God on earth. The Church recognizes a person’s sanctity by “canonizing” them. This means they are declared to be in Heaven and the Church presents the individual as one we are called to imitate. The Church does not canonize every soul in Heaven (even if known) but only those who the faithful are called to imitate and implore for aid.

The term "saint" is from the Latin word sanctus meaning "hallowed or “consecrated." The first person honored individually as a saint was Stephen, the first martyr. For nearly four centuries, praying to St. Stephen was incredibly popular. Beginning at the end of the second century, there were special celebrations on anniversaries of the martyrs' deaths. These martyrs were witnesses of Christ. They gave their lives for Him.

By the fourth century, sainthood was not just considered for martyrs. It was also for confessors and virgins. Saints could be monks, nuns, bishops, or any of the lay faithful. The saints are not merely the ones who have been canonized. 

How Can the Saints Hear Our Prayers?

“And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures, and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints” (Apocalypse 5:8)

The Book of Revelations written by St. John the Apostle specifically mentions how the prayers of the saints are presented before God in Heaven. The saints in Heaven are very much aware of what is happening on earth because God has in His order of the world permitted them to know of prayers addressed to them. In Matthew 17:3-5, the Prophets Moses and Elijah were very much aware of what was taking place on the earth. The saints themselves are witnesses of what occurs on earth as the Book of Hebrews specifically states: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us” (Hebrews 12:1). And our Lord Himself in Luke 15:7-10 describes those in Heaven rejoicing over repentance on earth. How could they do so unless in the mystical order of the universe God has somehow permitted them to know and see what was happening on the earth?

The History of Canonizations

There is a special process involved with officially determining that someone is a saint. The Catholic Church determines that a person is definitely in Heaven when they canonize someone. But the process for canonization has changed over time.

1. Early Church: The recognition of saints in the early centuries was often a local and spontaneous process. Local bishops or communities would acknowledge the holiness and intercession of certain individuals.

2. 6th Century: By the 6th century, the Roman Martyrology began to record the names of saints and martyrs, and this served as a kind of official list of those worthy of veneration. However, formal canonization processes as we know them today did not yet exist.

3. 10th Century: The first recorded case of a Pope canonizing a saint was Pope John XV in 993 who canonized St. Ulrich of Augsburg. 

4. 12th Century: In the 12th century, the formal process of canonization began to take a definitive state. Pope Alexander III (1159–1181) established certain procedures, and the role of a formal canonization process became more structured.

5. 13th Century: In the 13th century, the papacy took a more direct role in investigating the lives of potential saints by the 13th century as the process began to appoint officials conducting inquiries and examinations.

6. 17th Century: By the 17th century, the authority to canonize saints became exclusively reserved to the Pope. Formal procedures included a thorough examination of the candidate's life, writings, and the verification of miracles attributed to their intercession.

7. 18th Century: The process of canonization was further codified in the 18th century by Pope Benedict XIV, who issued a comprehensive document titled "De Servorum Dei beatificatione et de Beatorum canonizatione" in 1734.

In the process towards sainthood, there are four steps someone must attain:

1. Servant of God: This is the initial title given to a person whose cause for sainthood has been officially opened by the Church. It signifies that the local bishop or the competent ecclesiastical authority has initiated an investigation into the person's life, virtues, writings, and reputation for holiness.

2. Venerable: If the initial investigation finds that the person lived a life of heroic virtue, the title is advanced to "Venerable." This stage does not imply that miracles have been attributed to the individual; rather, it acknowledges the person's exemplary life.

3. Blessed: To reach the next stage, beatification, at least one miracle (typically a medically unexplained healing) attributed to the intercession of the Venerable is required. Once beatified, the individual is given the title "Blessed," and their veneration is permitted in a specific region or religious community. In times before Vatican II, two miracles were required.

4. Saint: Canonization requires the verification of at least one additional miracle after beatification. When this criterion is met, the Pope declares the person a saint. In times before Vatican II, two miracles more miracles – hence four total – were required. 

Hence, a canonization procedure, either as done in ancient times or since the Middle Ages, consists of two main aspects – namely both investigation and declaration. In the early Church, investigation was carried out by various members of the local church community and the declaration that a particular martyr was worthy of veneration was done by the bishop. Throughout it all, the presence of after death miracles helped confirm that the soul of the person was in Heaven. After all, God can not confirm falsehood with proofs so if someone intercedes for people on earth and God works miracles through them after death, then that soul must be in Heaven.

Are Modern Canonizations Infallible?

While former canonizations were undoubtedly infallible, the same cannot be said for Canonizations after 1983. This is seen in the grave doubts on the validity of the canonizations of John Paul II and Paul VI. As a result of the changes in the canonization process following Vatican II, there is reasonable concern to believe that modern beatifications and canonizations are no longer infallible.  Since the promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law (1983) radically altered the procedures for the beatification and canonization of blessed and saints, serious doubts have arisen concerning the legitimacy of these new processes that favor speed and quantity over reliability. These concerns have only been exasperated by further changes in practice under John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and now Francis. 

Regardless of the theological debate over the infallibility of canonizations, the process has been altered so radically that the debate prior to the changes was about something entirely different from the current state of affairs. Although some of the individuals purportedly canonized by the past three popes may have merited being honored for heroic virtue under the former juridically reliable process, it is certainly not within the competence of any individual Catholic to sort out the cases. We will need to wait until the restoration of normalcy in the Church for the proper authorities to sort out this morass. Until such time, we cannot pick and choose which modern canonizations we want to acknowledge. As such, it is a best practice to refrain from calling “Blessed” or “Saint” anyone given such a title after the changes of the mid-1980s.

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Rediscover the Power of Traditional Catholic Fasting

For centuries, fasting and abstinence were essential pillars of Catholic life. Saints, clergy, and lay faithful alike observed rigorous fasting disciplines—not out of mere obligation, but as a means of penance, spiritual purification, and reparation for sin. Sadly, these practices have been largely forgotten or dramatically reduced in modern times.

But what if we could reclaim them?

What if Catholics everywhere once again embraced fasting—not just as a personal devotion, but as a movement for the restoration of Christendom?

That’s exactly what we seek to do.

Step 1: Learn the Tradition

📖 The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence by Matthew Plese provides everything you need to know about the traditional discipline of fasting—what it was, how it changed, and how you can restore it in your own life.

This book traces the history of Catholic fasting back to the early Church, when Christians observed rigorous Lenten fasts, abstained from all meat and animal products, and kept strict Ember Days and vigils. It covers how the discipline gradually eroded, especially after the 1917 Code of Canon Law, and how Vatican II’s reforms nearly erased fasting altogether.

If you’ve ever wondered why Catholics today fast so little compared to past centuries—or if you feel called to do more but don’t know where to begin—this book is your guide.

Step 2: Live the Tradition

💪 Learning about fasting is one thing. Living it is another. That’s why we invite you to join the Fellowship of St. Nicholas—a traditional Catholic sodality dedicated to restoring penance and fasting.

Under the patronage of St. Nicholas—who was known not just for his charity but for his lifelong fasting—the Fellowship calls Catholics to band together in prayer, penance, and reparation.

St. Nicholas’s own life exemplifies the ancient fasting tradition. As the Roman Breviary recounts, even as an infant, he fasted from his mother’s milk twice a week, only nursing after sunset on Wednesdays and Fridays. He kept this discipline for his entire life, modeling for us a path of self-denial and holiness.

Inspired by this, the Fellowship of St. Nicholas commits to structured fasting and abstinence based on the traditional rules of the Church.

✅ Tier 1 follows the 1917 Code of Canon Law as a minimum, while eliminating the compromise of partial abstinence. This includes:

• No meat on any Friday of the year
• No meat for the entirety of Lent, including Sundays
• Abstinence on Ember Days and major vigils
• A strict fast (one meal a day, preferably after 3 PM) on traditional fasting days

✅ Tier 2 expands upon this, restoring the ancient Lenten fast as a fully vegan discipline—no meat, dairy, or eggs. It also extends fasting into Advent, bringing back the observance of St. Martin’s Lent, and observes abstinence on Rogation Days.

✅ Tier 3 goes even further, reintroducing fasting periods such as the Apostles’ Fast in June and the Assumption Fast in August, along with additional vigils and Ember Days.

This is not about personal asceticism—it is about restoring the Catholic way of life. As St. Leo the Great reminds us:

“The exercise of self-restraint which an individual Christian practices by his own will is for the advantage of that single member; but a fast undertaken by the Church at large includes everyone in the general purification. God’s people never is so powerful as when the hearts of all the faithful join together in the unity of holy obedience.”

For too long, Catholics have been told that fasting is optional, that penance is just a personal devotion, and that we need only do the bare minimum. But the saints did not think this way. Christ Himself fasted. The Apostles fasted. Entire Catholic civilizations observed rigorous fasting as a standard practice.

Now is the time to take it back.

Step 3: Join the Movement

If you feel called to more than just the modern minimal requirements—if you want to fast as Catholics always did—then join us.

👉 Join the Fellowship today! Connect with us on Telegram: https://t.me/+aXEK-WgNzL42NmJh

📚 Get the book and arm yourself with knowledge – Order The Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence and learn what true Catholic fasting is.

🔥 This Lent, don’t settle for the bare minimum. Reclaim fasting. Restore penance. Help bring back the traditions that sanctified generations before us.

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Why Catholics Must Adhere to the 1917 Code of Canon Law and Reject the Novelties of the 1983 Code

Principle 1: Authority and Validity of Law

Law Must Originate from a Valid Lawgiver

A fundamental principle in both civil and ecclesiastical law is that a law must be issued by a legitimate authority. In civil society, this requires that laws are passed in accordance with constitutional procedures and by recognized governmental bodies. Similarly, within the Church, a valid lawgiver is required to issue binding ecclesiastical laws.

In the Church, the Pope generally holds this authority. However, this authority is contingent upon his continued legitimacy as Pope. According to established Church teaching, if a Pope falls into heresy, he loses his office and thus his authority to promulgate laws. This concept is supported by notable canonists and theologians:

X. Wernz and P. Vidal (1943): "Through notorious and openly divulged heresy, the Roman Pontiff, should he fall into heresy, by that very fact [ipso facto] is deemed to be deprived of the power of jurisdiction even before any declaratory judgement by the Church. A pope who falls into public heresy would cease ipso facto to be a member of the Church; therefore, he would also cease to be head of the Church." (Ius Canonicum, 2:453)

Udalricus Beste (1946): "Not a few canonists teach that, outside of death and abdication, the pontifical dignity can also be lost by falling into certain insanity, which is legally equivalent to death, as well as through manifest and notorious heresy. In the latter case, a pope would automatically fall from his power, and this indeed without the issuance of any sentence, for the first See [i.e., the See of Peter] is judged by no one. The reason is that, by falling into heresy, the pope ceases to be a member of the Church. He who is not a member of a society, obviously, cannot be its head." (Introductio in Codicem, 3rd ed., Canon 221)

Thus, any laws or documents issued by a Pope who has lost his authority due to heresy are invalid and not binding. This principle calls into question the legitimacy of the 1983 Code of Canon Law if issued under such circumstances, especially considering the actions of John Paul II who promulgated the 1983 Code.

Principle 2: The Salvation of Souls as Supreme Law

Laws Must Not Harm Souls

Even if a law is issued by a legitimate authority, it must be rejected if it is harmful to souls or promotes sin. The maxim salus animarum, suprema lex (the salvation of souls is the supreme law) underscores this obligation. In 1984, Archbishop Lefebvre called the new code another grave problem undermining the Church and stated that the new Canon Law is very serious for it goes much further [i.e. promoting errors] than the Council itself in a October 29, 1984 conference at Stuttgart, Germany. 

The 1983 Code of Canon Law introduces a novel conception of the Church that undermines traditional ecclesiology and instead embraces the ecclesiology of Vatican II, which erases the distinction between clergy and laity. Canon 204 exemplifies this by defining all the faithful, clergy and laity alike, as partaking in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and royal functions. This new understanding dissolves the unique roles of the clergy, leading to the laicization of the Church. Such a shift is detrimental, as it aligns with Protestant reforms that laicized the priesthood, diminishing the sacred character of the clergy.

Archbishop Bugnini's reforms in the Liturgy further illustrate this harmful trend. The liturgical changes aimed to transform the Mass into an action of the entire "people of God," minimizing the role of the priest and the mystical nature of the Mass. This shift from God-centered worship to man-centered activity undermines the sanctity of the Eucharist and the priesthood.

The new Code even permits practices such as giving Communion to Protestants, a clear rupture from traditional Catholic teaching. This "eucharistic hospitality" contradicts the sacrament's role as a sign of unity in the Faith, thereby compromising the Church's doctrinal integrity. The 1983 Code is a codification of the errors of Vatican II, which are dangerous to souls as they undermine true doctrine, piety, and holiness. We see this reflected in the unmistakable collapse of Catholic praxis after Vatican II.

Conclusion

Catholics are bound by these two principles: the necessity of a valid lawgiver and the imperative to reject laws harmful to souls. Given either the questionable legitimacy of the authority behind the 1983 Code of Canon Law or its harmful spiritual consequences, Catholics are obliged to adhere to the strictness of the 1917 Code and reject the novelties introduced by the 1983 Code. While even the 1917 Code lessened discipline for Catholics in many regards, it nevertheless was a valid Code. The same unwaveringly statement of validity can not apply to the 1983 Code.

Salus animarum, suprema lex. Long live Tradition. Long live the True Catholic Church. Down with the counterfeit Church of the Modernists.

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Is Friday Abstinence Required When All Saints Day Falls on a Friday?

All Saints As A Holy Day of Obligation

The first catalog of Holy Days comes from the Decree of Gratian in c. 1150 AD, which shortly thereafter gave way to Decretals of Pope Gregory IX in 1234, which listed 45 Holy Days.

In 1642, His Holiness Pope Urban VIII issued the papal bull Universa Per Orbem which mandated the required Holy Days of Obligation for the Universal Church to consist of 34 days as well as the principal patrons of one's one locality (e.g. city and country). Those days were the Nativity of Our Lord, the Circumcision of Our Lord, the Epiphany of Our Lord, Monday within the Octave of the Resurrection, Tuesday within the Octave of the Resurrection, Ascension Thursday, Monday within the Octave of Pentecost, Tuesday within the Octave of Pentecost, Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, the Finding of the Holy Cross, the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Dedication of St. Michael, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. John (the December feast day), St. Thomas, SS. Philip and James, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, SS. Simon and Jude, St. Matthias, St. Stephen the First Martyr (the December feast day), the Holy Innocents, St. Lawrence, St. Sylvester, St. Joseph, St. Anne, and All Saints.  

The Catholic Encyclopedia provides a short account of the history of All Saints Day:

In the early days the Christians were accustomed to solemnize the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the fourth century, neighbouring dioceses began to interchange feasts, to transfer relics, to divide them, and to join in a common feast; as is shown by the invitation of St. Basil of Caesarea (379) to the bishops of the province of Pontus. Frequently groups of martyrs suffered on the same day, which naturally led to a joint commemoration. In the persecution of Diocletian the number of martyrs became so great that a separate day could not be assigned to each. But the Church, feeling that every martyr should be venerated, appointed a common day for all. The first trace of this we find in Antioch on the Sunday after Pentecost. We also find mention of a common day in a sermon of St. Ephrem the Syrian (373), and in the 74th homily of St. John Chrysostom (407). At first only martyrs and St. John the Baptist were honoured by a special day. Other saints were added gradually, and increased in number when a regular process of canonization was established; still, as early as 411 there is in the Chaldean Calendar a "Commemoratio Confessorum" for the Friday after Easter. In the West Boniface IV, 13 May, 609, or 610, consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs, ordering an anniversary. Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84).

Is Friday Abstinence Required When the All Saints Falls on a Friday?

Since November 1st this year falls on a Friday and is a Holy Day of Obligation, a question arises on whether abstinence is obligatory this Friday. The answer, as clearly stated in the 1917 Code, is as follows:

"On [Sundays] or feasts of precept, the law of abstinence or of abstinence and fast or of fast only ceases, except during Lent, nor is the vigil anticipated; likewise it ceases on Holy [Saturday] afternoon" (1917 Code, Canon 1252 § 4). [Translation taken from THE 1917 OR PIO-BENEDICTINE CODE OF CANON LAW in English Translation by Dr. Edward Peters]

As All Saints Day falls outside of Lent, tomorrow is not a day of mandatory abstinence. However, this was actually a change from the practice observed for well over 1,000 years.

Dispensations From Abstinence Were Previously Required Even for Holy Days of Obligation Outside of Lent

Even Christmas would in and of itself not dispense Friday abstinence in the Medieval Church, as Dom Gueranger writes in the Liturgical Year published in 1886:

"To encourage her children in their Christmas joy, the Church has dispensed with the law of abstinence, if this Feast fall on a Friday. This dispensation was granted by Pope Honorius III, who ascended the Papal Throne in 1216. It is true that we find it mentioned by Pope St Nicholas I, in the ninth century; but the dispensation was not universal; for the Pontiff is replying to the consultations of the Bulgarians, to whom he concedes this indulgence, in order to encourage them to celebrate these Feasts with solemnity and joy: Christmas Day, St Stephen, St John the Evangelist, the Epiphany, the Assumption of our Lady, St John the Baptist, and SS Peter and Paul. When the dispensation for Christmas Day was extended to the whole Church, these other Feasts were not mentioned."

Previously, a dispensation was required by the Holy Father even on Holy Days of Obligation that fell outside of Lent. Two examples indicating this are Pope Leo XIII's 1890 dispensation for Assumption Day and a 1907 dispensation issued for Canada for All Saints Day. All Saints Day was, at that time, a Holy Day of Obligation in Canada.

The Catholic Encyclopedia on St. Pius X's Supremi disciplinæ indicates that fasting was abolished eo ipso only starting in 1911 for all Holy Days of Obligation outside of Lent (which were at the same time reduced to only 8): "The present Motu Proprio institutes another important change in legislation. As feasting and fasting are incompatible, Pius X has abolished the obligation of fasting as well as that of abstinence for the Universal Church, should such obligation coincide with any of the eight feasts, as above." 

Thus, while eating meat this Friday is not a sin, it would be meritorious to continue to observe Friday abstinence in honor of the nearly 1,800 year-old tradition that preceded the 1917 Code. If we choose to do so, let us offer it up through our Lady's intercession for the conversion of sinners who violate the laws of the Church and do not attend Holy Mass on days of precept like All Saints Day.

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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Is Abstinence Obligatory on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart?

As a reminder, the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, which always falls on a Friday, is still an obligatory day of abstinence. As Catholics, we are still bound to abstain from meat each Friday of the entire year, not just in Lent. We are still bound to abstain from meat each Friday of the entire year, not just in Lent. 

Abstinence Traditionally Required on All Fridays

The 1917 Code of Canon Law stipulated that the requirement to abstain from meat (i.e., Friday penance) was required each and every Friday of the year unless that particular Friday was a Holy Day of Obligation:

"On [Sundays] or feasts of precept, the law of abstinence or of abstinence and fast or of fast only ceases, except during Lent, nor is the vigil anticipated; likewise it ceases on Holy [Saturday] afternoon" (1917 Code, Canon 1252 § 4). [Translation taken from THE 1917 OR PIO-BENEDICTINE CODE OF CANON LAW in English Translation by Dr. Edward Peters]

The 1917 Code introduced the radical notion that a Holy Day of Obligation would eo ipso overrule the requirement of Friday abstinence for any Holy Days of Obligation outside of Lent. Previously, the only day that would automatically abrogate the requirement of Friday abstinence was Christmas Day (December 25th), the exception of which went back to 1216 AD. Before the time of St. Pius X, the Holy Father required a dispensation from Friday abstinence on any other Holy Day of Obligation. The Feast of the Sacred Heart, which was established on the Universal Calendar in 1856, is not a feast of precept (i.e., a Holy Day of Obligation).

The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart Focuses on The Need for Reparation 

Let us never forget that the purpose of the Feast of the Sacred Heart is one focused on penance and reparation. When so many use the modernist 1983 Code to excuse themselves from Friday abstinence, let us, faithful to Tradition, keep today as one of abstinence in reparation to the Sacred Heart as the collect prayer for this feastday urges:

O God, through Your mercy we possess the treasures of Your love in the Sacred Heart of Your Son, the same Sacred Heart which we wounded by our sins. May our honor, devotion, and love make reparation to Him for our faults. Through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord...

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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Worshipping with Protestants Is A Mortal Sin

No one can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Church, you can find everything except salvation. You can have dignities, you can have Sacraments, you can sing "Alleluia," answer "Amen," have the Gospels, have faith in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and preach it, too. But never can you find salvation except in the Catholic Church - St. Augustine

There Is Only One True Religion

The Church established by our Lord Jesus Christ has always taught that organized religion is revealed by God and necessary for salvation. And the one religion revealed by God that is true, which is confirmed by both reason and countless verifiable miracles, is the Catholic Religion. There is no salvation found in any other religion. Just as there is only one God who is the only way to salvation (cf. John 14:6) there is only one religion established by Him for our salvation. Any other religion must necessarily be a false religion since its teachings contradict the Catholic religion. 

Logically speaking, there can, at most, be only one true religion. And the disunity and contradictions among the thousands of Protestant denominations violate the very principle of catholicity - not to mention apostolicity - which must be found in the true religion. With the advent of Protesantism in the 1500s, Luther stated that the Bible was open to individual interpretation, and the theological trail became crisscrossed with Biblical theorizing and harsh denunciations. Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Anabaptists, and others all preached different pathways of what each described as the true road to salvation. None of them agreed. And none of their respective denominations agree. They all conflicted and continue to conflict with each other. Just as 1 + 1 must equal 2, it is impossible for all of the conflicting and varied protestant groups to all be true. The truth is actually found only in the Catholic Church.

Worshipping With Other Religions Is a Mortal Sin Against the First Commandment

The First Commandment enjoins us not only to believe in God and worship Him but also to trust Him and love Him, as well as to encourage others to do likewise. The Catechism of the Council of Trent explained this well when discussing the First of the 10 Commandments:

The (mandatory part) contains a precept of faith, hope and charity. For, acknowledging God to be immovable, immutable, always the same, we rightly confess that He is faithful and entirely just. Hence in assenting to His oracles, we necessarily yield to Him all belief and obedience. Again, who can contemplate His omnipotence, His clemency, His willing beneficence, and not repose in Him all his hopes? Finally, who can behold the riches of His goodness and love, which He lavishes on us, and not love Him? Hence the exordium and the conclusion used by God in Scripture when giving His commands: I, the Lord.

Next, the Catechism explains what the First Commandment forbids:

The (negative) part of this Commandment is comprised in these words: Thou shalt not have strange gods before Me. This the Lawgiver subjoins, not because it is not sufficiently expressed in the affirmative part of the precept, which means: Thou shalt worship Me, the only God, for if He is God, He is the only God; but on account of the blindness of many who of old professed to worship the true God and yet adored a multitude of gods. Of these there were many even among the Hebrews, whom Elias reproached with having halted between two sides [III Kngs xviii. 21], and also among the Samaritans, who worshipped the God of Israel and the gods of the nations [cf. IV Kngs xvii. 33].

Consequently, sins against the First Commandment include (among other things) failing to pray, failing to study the Faith, neglecting spiritual duties, taking part in the worship of non-Catholic religions, despair, presumption, idolatry, consulting fortune tellers, and observing superstitious practices like horoscopes. The Baltimore Catechism clearly reiterates this prohibition against spells and charms: “Those who make use of spells and charms, or who believe in dreams, in mediums, spiritists, fortune-tellers, and the like, sin against the First Commandment, because they attribute to creatures perfections which belong to God alone.” 

Worshiping with Protestants Is A Mortal Sin

Whispers in Restoration summarized the rationale for why active participation in non-Catholic (e.g., Protestant worship) is always forbidden. Similarly, assisting at Jewish seder meals and any other religious ceremony of non-Catholics is also strictly forbidden:

In considering the question of Catholics joining in non-Catholic worship, the constant and uniform testimony of Scripture and Tradition must be maintained: Catholics may never actively participate in non-Catholic worship. This prohibition follows chiefly from the First Commandment in light of the fact that all non-Catholic worship is false, actions standing contrary to right faith and in violation of both natural and divine law. Such acts are therefore objectively disordered, independent of the subjective culpability of those who engage in such worship.

A second, closely connected reason for this discipline is that of making a lie by demonstrating a false religious unity: for a Catholic to join in non-Catholic worship is to manifest a certain unity with that community, contradicting the true unity of the Church. This leads to a third reason of scandal: Catholics who actively engage in false worship give the objective impression that such disordered acts are permissible, even laudable, and in this way endanger right faith (on the part of Catholics) and confirm non-Catholics in their error. A final reason for this prohibition is that it involves an omission of fraternal charity: by engaging in false worship, the Catholic fails in his duty to mercifully instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, and share the Gospel.

It is therefore doctrinally indefensible to admit of a discipline – alien to the constant and uniform tradition of the Church – that would permit (much less encourage) the active participation of Catholics in non-Catholic worship. 

This prohibition was also clearly specified in Canon Law: “It is unlawful for the faithful to assist in any active manner, or to take part in the sacred services of non-Catholics” (1917 Code of Canon Law, Canon 1258, Paragraph 1). But this teaching long pre-dated the 1917 Code and was declared at multiple Councils:

“If any ecclesiastic or layman shall go into the synagogue of the Jews or the meeting-houses of the heretics to join in prayer with them, let them be deposed and deprived of communion. If any bishop or priest or deacon shall join in prayer with heretics, let him be suspended from communion.” (3rd Council of Constantinople, 680 AD).

“And since truth cannot contradict truth, we define that every statement contrary to the enlightened truth of the faith is totally false and we strictly forbid teaching otherwise to be permitted. We decree that all those who cling to erroneous statements of this kind, thus sowing heresies which are wholly condemned, should be avoided in every way and punished as detestable and odious heretics and infidels who are undermining the Catholic faith.” (Session 8 of the 5th Lateran Council, 1513 AD)

Several valid but non-Ecumenical councils further affirmed this same truth (along with other examples):

“No one shall pray in common with heretics and schismatics… It is not permitted to heretics to enter the house of God while they continue in heresy.” (Council of Laodicea during the 4th century, citing Canon 6)

“One must neither pray nor sing psalms with heretics, and whosoever shall communicate with those who are cut off from the communion of the Church, whether clergy or layman, let him be excommunicated.” (Council of Carthage)

Can Catholics Attend Non-Catholic Funeral or Wedding Services?

What about non-passive worship? The author from Whispers in Restoration continues by noting that even passive (i.e., non-active) attendance at non-Catholic worship (e.g., at a funeral or wedding of a non-Catholic) would be limited and one which should be considered with the prudential advice of a Catholic priest:

Furthermore, it should be noted that traditionally, if Catholics might be permitted a certain passive participation in occasions of false worship, this was admitted only if the instance was: 1) an extraordinary circumstance, 2) commended by some grave reason, and 3) not overtly scandalous. The cautious qualifications here reflect the gravity of the act in question and recognition of the fact that any form of worship is informed by the beliefs of the worshipping community, demonstrating and effecting their religious unity as well. Thus for a Catholic, even passive participation in non-Catholic worship is a question that must be weighed with great caution.

One typical example given for such potentially permissible passive participation is that of a Catholic attending the non-Catholic funeral of a close relative or friend, provided that fraternal charity truly compels it and there be no danger of scandal or harm to right faith. Even here, it is noteworthy that such participation was only ever admitted as a possibility, and on the assumption that the person was seeking the direction of legitimate pastors in good faith, in order to act well.

Conclusion

We must reject religious indifferentism and seek to win as many souls from the devil and error as possible. By keeping the First Commandment and encouraging others to become Catholic, we observe this first and foundational Commandment. As such, no Catholic may ever participate in the religious worship of any non-Catholic religion—even those of Protestants. Catholics may only actively participate in Catholic worship without exception. Even if a family member goes to such a non-Catholic place of worship, the Catholic is not permitted to join, and if he does, he commits a serious mortal sin and risks excommunication.

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