« What I'm working on | Main | Ratzinger's Early Years »
March 16, 2006
St. Patrick's Day
The Catholic Culture page on the saint.
And then...on the Corned Beef Indult 2006? Get Religion rounds up the discussion.
Whispers in the Loggia has the Master List of dioceses granting the Corned Beef Indult.
Terry Mattingly considers what Catholics really think of and do during Lent
I am too tired to comment intelligently on this, but I suppose I'll just say that the Friday abstinence that remains is little more than a totem for more Catholics than we would like to admit. It's something, and good. But I've known couples who were cohabitating who would be extra careful to abstain from meat on Fridays of Lent. What?
As I said, it's something, and who among us is perfect? Not one. We all persist in our sinful ways, making the smal gesture. Which works, in that small way, to pull us back, to give us a bit more discipline to confront the big things. To understand that if we can make this small sacrifice, maybe - just maybe - we can make a greater one.
The problem, though, is that in the absence of a penitential sensibility, it does indeed devolve into not much more than a Catholic Identity Badge, especially when this blasted Corned Beef business comes into it. It reminds me of the time, 2 or 3 years ago, that Major League Baseball's opening day fell on Good Friday - the first game was in Boston, and there was great discussion about dispensing the fast and abstinence for that day for people going to the game. Okay, how about communicating to people that they might, perhaps, consider that going to a baseball game on Good Friday doesn't fit the day anyway....
But back to the Indult...it's all very bizarre and nothing but a gasp of cultural Catholicism to me. And if I'm hostile, forgive me. My Catholic side is French-Canadian, and we're not that interested in the Irish, except as fellow-sufferers at the hands of the British. Which goes a long way, but not quite this far, although, if I mull it all over as a way to celebrate the resiliance of a people and their faith in the face of repression, well, maybe...I could go for that.
But...is it an indult only for Corned Beef? Or do chicken wings count too?
(See where this leads? As my husband, who usually shrugs about these matters, and still does on this, I think, muttered last week...do you think the Orthodox are fiddling with their Lenten fasts and hankering for their indults...Not by half.)
Posted by Amy Welborn | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451be0d69e200d8347bb66d53ef
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference St. Patrick's Day:
Comments
Amy,
Excellent points...
The Orthodox don't even take dairy during Lent. They abstain the whole way through, although some do allow fish.
Saint Patrick's Day: I wonder when there will merely be "P Day" celebrated by green beer, etc. and perhaps there will be the "Booze Monologues" playing on Catholic campuses to the chagrin of the Cardinal Newman Society. :) lol
Posted by: Ian at Mar 16, 2006 11:24:23 PM
The indults are not for corned beef. The indults are dispensatiions from abstinence. If it belongs to the animal kingdom, eat it no questions asked.
Posted by: Fr. Stephanos, O.S.B. at Mar 17, 2006 12:24:52 AM
Man, am I glad I just love cod. Happy St. Patrick's day, everybody.
Posted by: Jack2 at Mar 17, 2006 12:47:24 AM
TV news shows in North Central Florida just love the dispensation for St Patrick's Day...
I must have heard it alluded to 5 times in the last 24 hours. Sheesh!
Posted by: Lynn at Mar 17, 2006 12:56:39 AM
None of the Orthodox Greeks I know keep the whole 40 day fast although they might speak of their grandmothers who keep the fast. Some keep the last week ; no oil, no dairy, no meat.
Some of the traditional food eaten in Holy Week are baccala (salt fish), halva (a sweet with nuts) and fasoulatha (vegetable soup with beans).
Posted by: Sharon at Mar 17, 2006 1:18:08 AM
I don't feel really Irish unless I'm having a famine, your excellencies, and that just happens to coincide neatly with the season.
Posted by: Lois at Mar 17, 2006 2:19:28 AM
Terry, as an Englishman it upsets me when you blame the persercution of the Irish on the British - the Irish are British (inhabitants of the British Isles, geographical not political terminology). No, put the blame on us English, where it belongs. And that goes for the Anglo-French thing too: it gets to be a habit after a 1,000 years. Still as one of the few English Catholics whose family suffered for its faith these last 450 years I think we can tell you something about persercution.
Posted by: Recusant at Mar 17, 2006 6:04:58 AM
I hate corned beef! Now, as hundreds of generations of dead McClareys in the next world stand appalled, let me hasten to add that I have no problem with the indult. Bishop Jenky has issued such an indult for the Peoria diocese, and he is as orthodox as they come. It is a harmless thing, and quite in line with the power of the Church to bind and to loose.
Posted by: Donald R. McClarey at Mar 17, 2006 7:01:46 AM
So the tradition of eating meat on Patrick’s Day (sic) trumps the tradition of not eating meat on Fridays. Secular team scores another point, thanks to our bishops.
Posted by: Epovick at Mar 17, 2006 7:21:47 AM
Well, the Orthodox are also a little less freaked out by putting feasts in the middle of lent, too.
I am all for Catholic identity badges. I think that these are the small things that bring people back, even if it is just to call a priest after they get hit by the truck (anything that makes someone feel themselves to be a "bad Catholic" as opposed to an "ex-Catholic" is okay by me.)
But that is besides the point, I don't think people wanting to celebrate St. Patrick's Day goes "against" Lent at all!
It is okay to "celebrate" during Lent.
I remember when I worked for a Diocese several years ago, there was a crisis because the Diocesan Youth "Gathering" was going on, and the Youth Director had forgotten it was a Friday in Lent. The big problem was that all the priests of the Diocese were finishing their retreat, and so no one could dispense the kids so they could partake of the giant BBQ lunch which had been prepared for them.
Yours truly (who was working at the Tribunal at the time) was the only person in the chancery who seemed to know it was March 19th, the Solemnity of St. Jospeh, and there was no abstinence that day. Heck, the Gloria is sung at Mass.
Saved the day, huh? No, not at all! Because, who cares what the Church says, it's still a Friday during Lent!!!
Talk about being more Catholic than the Pope! Try to get people not to celebrate St. Joseph's in Italy, and you will have a riot.
The reason that it is a tradition to eat meat on St. Patty's day, even though it falls during Lent, is because it is a Solemnity in Ireland, and abstinence does not apply.
Given the number of Dioceses, Cathedrals, and Parishes where St. Patrick is the patron (and therefore making it a solemnity in those geographic areas), abstinence doesn't apply in a good portion of the U.S. Church.
The reason that all these Catholic are looking for the indult is because the "institutional" memory of the U.S. Church is very Irish, and St. Patrick's is a holiday!
So here is a solution to this crisis, which occurs every few years: Have the bishops apply to the Holy See to make St. Patrick's Day a Solemnity in the Church in the United States, given the importance of Irish missionaries to the Church, and the strong (and I mean strong) devotion of the Catholics in the country to the Saint. Then abstinence will never apply on St. Patrick's day (Unless if falls during the Triduum, at which point the feast is transferred).
Then we can end this silly game for the rest of time.
Posted by: Charles Collins at Mar 17, 2006 7:38:40 AM
I second Charlie Collins' comments (except that it's not "St. Patty's Day" it's "St. Paddy's Day"--Patty is short for Patricia, not Patrick : ).
It would do a world of good for many of the bemoaners of our too loose discipline to read Romans chapter 14 and apply that to today. It would also put things in perpective to note that where St. Patrick is the patron saint (as in the Archdiocese of Boston) the day is thereby a solemnity, and like the Solemnities of St. Joseph and Annunciation, are not days of fast and abstinence.
As for the Eastern fasting customs, it is also worthwhile to note that while a much stricter regimen is urged upon the laity of the East, it is not obligatory, i.e., it does not bind under pain of sin. That is why many Orthodox are more rigorous in the first week of Lent and in Holy Week (not counted as part of their Lent) but relax discipline to varying degrees in between.
Here in Boston we too have been urged to do more. Archbishop O'Malley has requested all Catholics to attend daily Mass and fast every day during Lent. But he gets no credit for that.
Posted by: Steve Cavanaugh at Mar 17, 2006 8:17:36 AM
"do you think the Orthodox are fiddling with their Lenten fasts and hankering for their indults...Not by half.)"
Yep. Abstaining from eggs and dairy, too -- now that's a fast.
Abstinence rules from meat really don't have any relevance for me as I am vegetarian, and let me tell you, giving up a hamburger can be easy compared to finding another spiritual sacrifice to offer to the Lord, especially on the Fridays of Lent.
Posted by: Christine at Mar 17, 2006 8:48:36 AM
Remember, human nature is one thing that changes very little; meaning, if you could get in a time machine and go back 100, 500, 1,000 years, I bet you'd find all manner of silliness and strangeness about Catholic practice of spirituality (cohabiting couples careful to abstain from meat, a la 2006) to match ours.
Our archbishop said the dispensation pertained to celebrations of the saint; so say "Hail, St. Patrick" every time you take a bite of meat today!
I think there's no point in getting upset or concerned; simply laugh at the great comedy of it all--a Shakespearean (sorry, but he's who came to mind--no ethnic points being scored) play for the Almighty to watch!
Posted by: Fr Martin Fox (Septimus) at Mar 17, 2006 9:17:22 AM
Oh, lighten up, everyone. I find it very funny how seriously everyone is taking this, you especially Amy. But perhaps it's because you're not Irish...
Note that there are some bishops saying "Oh please, leave me alone. My flock can decide for themselves..." THAT from good bishops who have far more important things to worry about than Irish Americans and their corned beef...
Even funnier are the ones who "refuse" an indult. "Oh, okay, now I need to spend $10/lb on salmon as opposed to $4/lb on corned beef. That's such a Lenten sacrifice..."
-Brigid (A great day for me and my beer and Salmon. No one in Ireland is eating corned beef today 'cause, have you ever tried Irish corned beef?)
Posted by: Brigid at Mar 17, 2006 9:22:05 AM
The minimalization and trivialization of Lent in modern Catholic life is sad. During a recent RCIA class in my parish, we had a discussion about the Church's requirements on fasting and abstinence. Our parish bulletin, in describing the Ash Wednesday fast, indicated that there was to be no eating between meals. That it- no snacks! People in our class were hung up on "what's the minimum I have to do to be a good Catholic?"
Somehow, we've missed the entire point of penitential practices - no doubt because we've somehow missed the fact that we are sinners in need of repentance and salvation.
My Orthodox friends (many of whom are converts) make me ashamed of my paltry efforts at self-denial during Lent. And they always seem to have a greater celebration at Easter/Pascha. Hmmmm. I wonder...
Posted by: Dave Wells at Mar 17, 2006 9:32:16 AM
$10/lb salmon?
How about 50 cents for a can of tuna?
Or sardines?
Or eggs at under 10 cents a piece?
Actually, I do this all the time. I don't have money, but I can't stand ramen noodles.
There! That's my penance ...
Posted by: Chris at Mar 17, 2006 9:40:02 AM
There were dispensations from Friday abtinence for St. Patrick's Day even before the Council. My college used to have a mixer that day because Lenten rules didn't apply--and this was in a city where the Catholics were more Slavic and German than Irish. In high school, we were dispensed from wearing the uniform on St. Patrick's Day and the Polish girls sniffed that they should have the same privilege for St. Joseph's Day.
And by the way, today is also the feast day of St. Gertrude of Nivelles, patroness of mice.
Posted by: Sandra Miesel at Mar 17, 2006 10:00:30 AM
Let's see, the Irish caused the Jansenist heresy to continue into the 20th Century and brought it to this country. Their narrow-minded nationalism spawned the Polish National Catholic Church in the 19th Century. Remind me again why I should like them?? Ah, yes, their folk music.
Posted by: Matthew at Mar 17, 2006 10:03:09 AM
You don't have to like us, Matthew.
You just have to thank the us for the preservation of the written word which you use today.
Yeah.
Go Google that...
Posted by: Brigid at Mar 17, 2006 10:06:29 AM
"the us"
yikes.
obviously this irish girl still needs to learn to preview her "snippy posts" first...
Posted by: Brigid at Mar 17, 2006 10:09:55 AM
Ah, you're all jealous because you're not Irish. (I am, tee hee.) Seriously, I have a friend from Dublin who thinks that all this business about corned beef on Friday is silly. There's quite a difference between "Irish American" and "real Irish" customs. Personally, I draw the line at green beer.
Posted by: jill sawyer at Mar 17, 2006 10:27:22 AM
I think Amy's point was spot on. The problem isn't so much with the dispensation of the Lenten abstinence for that single day. The problem is much deeper-the loss of a "penitential sensibility" or the "loss of the sense of sin". If we still had this sensibility then dispensing with the abstinence wouldn't be so strange because people would be doing penances in other ways and on other days.
Oh, the rationale that this dispensation needs to be done because of the sense of community that eating corned beef brings rings very, very hollow to me. Hello, your excellency! If you go down to O'Brien's Pub you'll see a whole slew of agnostics drinking green beer and having a corned beef sandwhich. Nothing particularly Catholic about that. When I grew up Lutheran, I knew the who the Catholic kids were because they had cheese sandwhiches on Fridays, not because they wore green on March 17th. Everyone wore green. Only the Catholics ate cheese sandwhiches.
Posted by: Other Marc at Mar 17, 2006 10:39:59 AM
Let's add this:
You surely know that in discussions of American liturgical life the blame always falls back on the Irish - the Irish valued quick liturgies, didn't have a traditional of congregational singing, etc.
Thanks again, Irish!
Posted by: Tracy at Mar 17, 2006 10:43:00 AM
I don't see how St. Patrick's indult is secular at all. The variation is between a Lenten day of abstinence and a religious feats--in two years won't we have the same dilemma for the Italians' St. Joseph's table?
I agree that we all persist in our sinful ways, and abstinence is a custom that can call us to mind. But actually celebrating a religious feast can do the same.
Posted by: Fortiterinre at Mar 17, 2006 11:58:46 AM
Fortiterine asks: won't we have the same dilemma for the Italians' St. Joseph's table?
As an Italian, I am not worried about St. Joseph’s Day on a Friday. We can cook up a wonderful Italian feast without meat. There lies the rub: the limitations of Irish cuisine.
Posted by: epovick at Mar 17, 2006 12:11:51 PM
