Lenten Regulations

To assist the faithful in their observance of the penitential season, the archdiocesan Office of Liturgy has provided the following list of Lenten regulations.

1. By the law of God and the custom of the Church, all Christians are required to do penance.

2. The season of Lent retains its penitential character. The days of penance to be observed under obligation are Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of the Lenten season.

3. Abstinence from meat is to be observed on all Fridays of Lent. The law of abstinence and fast is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

4. The law of abstinence forbids the consumption of meat. The law of fasting permits only one meal a day. Fasting means having only one full meal to maintain one’s strength. Two smaller meatless and penitential meals are permitted according to one’s needs, but they should not equal the one full meal. Eating solid foods between meals is not permitted.

5. The law of abstinence binds those who have celebrated their 14th birthday. The law of fasting binds those who have celebrated their 18th birthday, and continues until they have celebrated their 59th birthday.

6. Pastors and parents should take particular care to educate the young to a true sense of penance and self-discipline. More frequent use of the sacrament of reconciliation and attendance at daily Mass should be encouraged during Lent, as well as other practices of penance and self-sacrifice.

7. The Fridays of the year outside Lent remain days of penance, but each individual may substitute traditional abstinence from meat with some other practice of voluntary self-denial or personal penance: this may be physical mortification, act of religion, charity or Christian witness. These works should be considered a minimal response to the Lord’s call to penance and conversion of life.

8. All priests and confessors are delegated to grant dispensations to individuals and to families, both inside and outside the sacramental form.