Happy Holy Friday.

I'm not sure if this was ever mentioned here before. But I should point out that some hardcore Catholic devotees here find some very, um, creative ways to demonstrate their faith during Holy Week...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1901095.stm

I'd post the images here, but i'm not sure whether they're considered "PG". (I mean, they were published on a "respectable" news site, and whatnot.)

Wrong.

The kind of stuff that makes Catholicism look like a cult.
 
You're actually only supposed to eat one meal, too, I believe. I'm pretty sure it's just a Catholic thing, though.
One meal? Where did you hear/read that? That's not true. No Catholic I ever met only eats one meal on Friday's during Lent.
 
Wrong.

The kind of stuff that makes Catholicism look like a cult.
I believe that's only in the Philippines
One meal? Where did you hear/read that? That's not true. No Catholic I ever met only eats one meal on Friday's during Lent.

Never heard that, really you're never suppose to eat meat on any Friday but that's kind of "eh, whatever" now it just good friday
 
Never heard that, really you're never suppose to eat meat on any Friday but that's kind of "eh, whatever" now it just good friday
Where do you guys hear these things? It was always taught that no meat on Fridays because during Lent there was never meat, only fish replacing it.

I have never met any Catholic who only had one meal during Lent, nor never ate meat on any Friday. The priests at my church have never mentioned such a fact, and even they have ate meat during Fridays from the church dances and other events that have been held on the day and etc.
 
Where do you guys hear these things? It was always taught that no meat on Fridays because during Lent there was never meat, only fish replacing it.

I have never met any Catholic who only had one meal during Lent, nor never ate meat on any Friday. The priests at my church have never mentioned such a fact, and even they have ate meat during Fridays from the church dances and other events that have been held on the day and etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Friday#In_the_Roman_Catholic_Church

But, that isn't where I heard it. My dad, who teaches religion classes for the Church, told me that.
 
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I know this thread was made in good fun, but, being the Catholic that I am, I am slightly offended.
 
You mean you guys have never heard of Lenten fasting and abstinence?

Catholics above the age of 14 are required to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the Lenten season as well as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, while those above the age of 18 are required to fast (have only one meal) on two days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Catholicism is actually a lot stricter than most Catholics realize.

I'm not saying that to demonize that particular strain of Christianity, so much as I'm speaking from the experience of having gone to a Catholic school where there were whole classes devoted to studying Roman Catholic history, the Latin language and the entire Catechism.
 
I knew about the "no meat" policy, but I had only heard about the fasting on Good Friday this year. I DID know about fasting on Ash Wednesday, though, hence Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras.
 
I know this thread was made in good fun, but, being the Catholic that I am, I am slightly offended.

Yeah, I've asked you guys not to do stuff like that.

I'll remove it.
 
You mean you guys have never heard of Lenten fasting and abstinence?

Catholics above the age of 14 are required to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the Lenten season as well as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, while those above the age of 18 are required to fast (have only one meal) on two days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Catholicism is actually a lot stricter than most Catholics realize.

I'm not saying that to demonize that particular strain of Christianity, so much as I'm speaking from the experience of having gone to a Catholic school where there were whole classes devoted to studying Roman Catholic history, the Latin language and the entire Catechism.

I knew about the "no meat" policy, but I had only heard about the fasting on Good Friday this year. I DID know about fasting on Ash Wednesday, though, hence Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras.

I really honestly never heard of it. It was never taught in Catechism (Sunday School w/ a different name and day) and never a priest nor a nun ever mentioned anything like that.

Even my father, whose studying to become a Deacon (2011 he'll be one) never said anything like that.


I find that weird now.
 
Catholics above the age of 14 are required to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the Lenten season as well as Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, while those above the age of 18 are required to fast (have only one meal) on two days: Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

I certainly only have one meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but leaving meat out every Friday is something I've never done.

I'm not saying that to demonize that particular strain of Christianity, so much as I'm speaking from the experience of having gone to a Catholic school where there were whole classes devoted to studying Roman Catholic history, the Latin language and the entire Catechism.

Yikes.

Latin is an optional after-school class, Roman Catholic history is something we briefly covered in history class and I can't say much of anything about the entire Catechism.
 
Happy Easter everyone!

After hearing all kinds of wonderful egg-hunting stories from me and my other brother Brian, my youngest sibling Andrew suddenly realised that he'd never experienced the thrill and mystery of an Easter Egg-hunt. So, my Mom organised the first O'Connor Household Easter Egg Hunt in nearly ten years. It was badass.

Unfortunately, I am now full of chocolate and ready to hurl.

Happy Easter!
 
We still do Easter Egg hunts in my house, never missed a year, though my sister and I are in our mid-to-late-teens now.

This year we got a lot of Reese's peanutbutter eggs, as well as Lindt eggs, which I didn't even know existed before but are sooooooo gooooooodddd.:drooling:
 
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We still do Easter Egg hunts in my house, never missed a year, though my sister and I are in our mid-to-late-teens now.

This year we got a lot of Reese's peanutbutter eggs, as well as Lindt eggs, which I didn't even know existed before but are sooooooo gooooooodddd.:drooling:
We do Easter Egg hunts at my job for the kids. I find myself taking a candy or two. :D
 
I'm not saying that to demonize that particular strain of Christianity, so much as I'm speaking from the experience of having gone to a Catholic school where there were whole classes devoted to studying Roman Catholic history, the Latin language and the entire Catechism.
No offense, man, but I know for a fact that your high school was run by the Opus Dei, who never hesitate to apply their own rigid standards and preferences, on top of those set by the Vatican (and really, they make no big secret out of it).

Here's my educated guess. I don't have a link or citation to back it up:

The Lenten fasting/abstinence tradition was probably ruled as optional during the "modernizing" efforts of the 2nd Vatican Council (the post WW2 attempt to define a more pluralistic Catholic dogma). It may have been determined to be too incompatible with the demands of "contemporary" lifestyles to be regarded as a religious necessity.

But individual bishops' organizations in predominantly Catholic countries (like ours) may issue ecclesiastic orders that specify the fasting as a must, for believers within their own "jurisdictions" (?).

Where is UltimateQuicksilver when you need him? I'd like to know if the Lenten fasting is observed in Brazil (specifically) and Latin America (in general).

Wrong.

The kind of stuff that makes Catholicism look like a cult.
With all due respect, don't you think you're being a little narrow minded about it?

First of all, let me say that I don't personally agree with the practice of crucifixion and flagellation by devotees. I think it's unsanitary, a health risk, and potentially turns a solemn day of worship into a sensationalized spectacle. I also believe these Lenten rites should be more tightly regulated, in the interest of public safety.

Having said that, I will wholeheartedly defend the penitents rights to carry on with the practice, if their faith compels them to do so.

And I really don't care whether others choose to perceive it as "barbaric", "uncivilized", or as you put it "cult like".

They're not chucking bombs into civilian establishments in the name of their faith (like some Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland have done). They're just displaying the extent of their belief in a way that might seem distasteful to people with more delicate sensibilities.

And if you construe that as "bad P.R." to the Church as a whole, then you can take your fake *** Christian charity and shove it where the sun don't shine.

Religion is the original "open source content". It's subject to interpretation, reinvention, and "rebooting". It's been "remixed", and crosses over with other forms of belief. As others have pointed out on this thread, so much Catholic holiday symbolism (eggs, trees, rabbits, and whatnot) is borrowed from Pagan rite. Just because these aspects have gained the approval of the Vatican and Hallmark alike, it doesn't relegate all other forms of worship to "bootleg" versions of "authentic" Catholicism. It just doesn't work that way.
 
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