Good News For The Irish
At least in some dioceses, anyway. Certain bishops have issued a Meat Indult on St. Patrick's Day since it falls on a Friday this year. Here is the list so far:
-Cardinal Rigali (Bishop of Philadelphia) has granted a dispensation from the Lenten obligation to abstain from eating meat on Friday, March 17, 2006 because of the Feast of Saint Patrick. The Cardinal encourages those who wish to take advantage of this dispensation to perform some other Lenten work of piety or charity.
-In the archdiocese of Boston, Cardinal-designate Sean Patrick O'Malley has granted the indult (there'd be a revolt if he didn't).
-In the diocese of Lincoln, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz has granted the indult, while stipulating that "those who make use of such an indult should substitute five decades of the rosary instead of observing the abstinence." Novel.
-In the diocese of Sioux City, Bishop Walker Nickless will not grant the indult -- a release from the chancery makes explicit note that 17 March remains a day of abstinence. As Nickless' parents ran a butcher shop in Denver, you would think that he'd be eager to help a brother out.
-Bishop Carl Mengeling of Lansing has dispensed from the obligation, on the condition that the faithful "choose another weekday of the Second Week of Lent as a day of abstinence from meat, in substitution for the observance" on Paddy's.
-In Erie, Bishop Donald Trautman has granted the indult, "only provided that [the faithful] observe abstinence on the day before, March 16, as a substitute. For those not substituting March 16 as a day of abstinence, St. Patrick’s Day remains a day of abstinence."
-In Cincinatti, Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk has granted the dispensation, suggesting that those who take it perform some other penitential act.
-Word from Harrisburg is that Bishop Kevin Rhoades has not conceded the indult, despite St. Patrick's place as patron of the local church and of its cathedral (a shamrock graces the middle of the diocesan arms).
Does anyone know if Bishop Wuerl of Pittsburgh is planning to grant one?
Hat tip to Whispers in the Loggia.
