My grandmother is 85 years old and thinks that she has to abstain from meat every Friday of the year. Is this true? I thought it was only up to the age of 60 or 65 and has to have one regular meal or two small meals. She is eating no meat at all every Friday.

Dawn--

I think that you may be conflating abstinence with fasting. Abstinence is refraining from eating meat. Fasting is decreasing one's food intake. Currently Catholics are only required to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. In the U.S., the fasting age is 18 to 59. Catholics are required to abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday. They may do so on the other Fridays of the year at their discretion. In the U.S., the age for abstinence is 14 and up (with no upper age limit). Those who have a medical need for meat or who cannot fast for medical reasons may be dispensed from the obligation.

Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers

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