1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: a show that skims the menu of history to find 4 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: the special of the day. I'm Gay Bluesier, and today 5 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: we're looking at how a Catholic tradition was accidentally up 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: ended after more than a thousand years of strict observance. 7 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: The day was November eighteenth, nineteen sixty six. The US 8 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: Conference of Catholic Bishops loosened the rule requiring Catholics to 9 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: abstain from meat on Friday's The announcement was made in 10 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 1: a document called the Pastoral Statement on Penance and Abstinence. 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: In it, the bishops made clear that Friday should remain 12 00:00:56,120 --> 00:01:00,600 Speaker 1: a day of quote voluntary self denial and person all penance. 13 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 1: The difference was that Catholics now had the option to 14 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: practice penance in other ways besides abstaining from meat. That way, 15 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: if giving up meat no longer felt like much of 16 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: a sacrifice, members of the church could seek out a deeper, 17 00:01:15,680 --> 00:01:20,959 Speaker 1: more personal form of penance instead. However, the bishop's message 18 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:26,120 Speaker 1: wasn't reported or received as intended. Instead, the American media 19 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: and many practicing Catholics took it to mean that abstinence 20 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: from meat on Friday's had been completely abolished, And as 21 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,440 Speaker 1: for the part about finding other forms of penance, well, 22 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: that got lost in translation Entirely. Many ancient religions practice 23 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: fasting and abstention from certain foods as a way to 24 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 1: further spiritual development. Catholicism was no exception in that regard. 25 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: In fact, abstaining from meat on Friday's was one of 26 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: the earliest requirements of the Church. The tradition likely grew 27 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: out of the desire to memorial lies Christ's death on 28 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: a weekly basis. To honor his sacrifice, which took place 29 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: on a Friday, Catholics began making a small sacrifice of 30 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: their own by giving up meat one day out of 31 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 1: the week. That sentiment is also the basis for the 32 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:18,440 Speaker 1: forty days season of Lent, during which Catholics also abstain 33 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: from eating meat on Wednesdays as well as on Fridays. 34 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: And by the way, most Catholics do still fast on 35 00:02:25,760 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: Friday's during Lent, it's just all the other Fridays of 36 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: the year that have fallen by the wayside. It's worth 37 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: noting that the early Churches directive made no mention of 38 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: what should be eaten on Fridays. The only requirement was 39 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: to avoid the flesh of animals. That left plenty of 40 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: choices on the table, including every fruit, vegetable, grain, and 41 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: dairy product you could think of. But humans being humans, 42 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: some Catholics immediately started looking for a loophole. Meat was 43 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: the only thing off the menu, for sure, But what 44 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: is meat and anyway? Traditionally the term refers to things 45 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: like lamb, chicken, beef, pork, ham, and venison. Those all 46 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: come from warm blooded land animals, So what about cold 47 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 1: blooded aquatic creatures like fish? Did they fall under the 48 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: Church's definition of meat? In a somewhat counterintuitive ruling, it 49 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 1: was eventually determined that the flesh of fish was not 50 00:03:24,919 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: the same as the flesh of animals, and was therefore 51 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: a okay for Catholics to eat on Fridays. The justification 52 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: for that decision was a little shaky at best, but 53 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: many members of the Church point to St. Paul's First 54 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: Letter to the Corinthians as the answer. In chapter fifteen, 55 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: verse thirty nine, Paul wrote, quote, all flesh is not 56 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: the same flesh. There is one kind of flesh of men, 57 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,120 Speaker 1: another flesh of beasts. Another of fish and another of birds. 58 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: Paul didn't elaborate on the distinction between one flesh and another, 59 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: nor at any other author of the New Testament. That 60 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 1: ambiguity allowed church leaders to make all kinds of additional exceptions, 61 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: stretching the definition of fish beyond its breaking point. For example, 62 00:04:12,440 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: in the seventeenth century, the Bishop of Quebec ruled the 63 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,279 Speaker 1: beavers qualified as fish, and in the eighteenth century Catholics 64 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: in the Detroit area were granted a dispensation to eat 65 00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: muskrat on days of abstinence. More recently, several amphibians and 66 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: reptiles were cleared for consumption as well. In for instance, 67 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: the Archbishop of New Orleans mortified biologists by declaring that 68 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:44,719 Speaker 1: alligator is quote considered in the fish family. Regional delicacies aside, 69 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 1: plain old fish remained the substitute of choice for most 70 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,600 Speaker 1: Catholic families. It became a prominent part of Catholic culture 71 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 1: in its own right, as well as the go to 72 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: dish for end of the week family dinners. That standing 73 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: was solidified in the twentie century with the institution of 74 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: Friday fish fries, a fairly inexpensive way for working class 75 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:09,360 Speaker 1: Catholics to dine now while still complying with the rules 76 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: of their faith. Restaurants were the first to offer fish 77 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: fries as a way to better accommodate their Catholic customers, 78 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: but it wasn't long before churches, vf W halls and 79 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:25,360 Speaker 1: other groups also began hosting them as fundraisers. The connection 80 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,159 Speaker 1: between Catholics and Friday fish dinners was so strong that 81 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: it actually inspired McDonald's to add a fish sandwich to 82 00:05:32,560 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: its menu in the early nineteen sixties. The filet of 83 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 1: fish was the first addition to the restaurant's original menu, 84 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: and it was added specifically to address the loss of 85 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:48,480 Speaker 1: Catholic customers on Friday's. However, just as McDonald's was shaking 86 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: up its menu, Pope Paul the sixth was making changes 87 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:55,960 Speaker 1: of his own. In early nineteen sixty six, fresh from 88 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:59,720 Speaker 1: their recently concluded Second Vatican Council, the Pope issued it 89 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 1: to pre titled Pintomini or Repent, It emphasized the importance 90 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: of penance and broadened the forms of penance approved by 91 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:13,040 Speaker 1: the Church. In particular, the Pope called for the year 92 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:16,520 Speaker 1: long practice of fasting and abstinence to be adapted to 93 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: local economic and social conditions. For example, if meat was 94 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 1: not a staple of a Catholic family's diet, then they 95 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: should be allowed to substitute abstinence with a different form 96 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: of penance, such as works of charity. With that flexible 97 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: approach in mind, the Pope left it to each country's 98 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: bishops to determine how Catholics and their respective countries should 99 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: observe Fridays throughout the year. In the fall of nineteen 100 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,599 Speaker 1: sixty six, the US Conference of Catholic Bishops took on 101 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:49,840 Speaker 1: that task during their annual meeting, the bishops acknowledged, just 102 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:53,760 Speaker 1: as the Pope had, that times were indeed changing. For 103 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: many Catholics, abstaining from meat was no longer the great 104 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: sacrifice it once was. A growing number adhere to vegetarian diets, 105 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: and for those who didn't, the option of eating fish 106 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: ensured that Friday dinner was just as substantial as any 107 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: other night of the week. In light of that, the 108 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: bishops voted to relax the rules on fasting and abstinence 109 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:19,040 Speaker 1: for Friday's outside of Lent. That said, the bishops made 110 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: it clear they still considered not eating meat to be 111 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: the ideal form of penance for Fridays, and their pastoral statement, 112 00:07:27,160 --> 00:07:30,920 Speaker 1: they encouraged Catholics to keep up the practice, saying, quote, 113 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: even though we hereby terminate the traditional law of abstinence 114 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: as the sole prescribed means of observing Friday, we give 115 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: first place to abstinence from flesh meat. We do so 116 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: in the hope that the Catholic community will ordinarily continue 117 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: to abstain from meat by free choice, as formerly we 118 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: did in obedience to Church law. The bishop's hope was 119 00:07:55,880 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 1: ultimately unfulfilled, as the vast majority of American Catholics again 120 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: eating meat on Friday's. In fact, according to economist Frederick 121 00:08:04,680 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: bell Us, fish prices took a nose dive after the 122 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: bishops released their statement. Even though Friday abstinence remained the 123 00:08:12,600 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: universal law of the Latin Church, and even though the 124 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: US bishops still encouraged it themselves, the takeaway from most 125 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: Catholics was that meatless Friday's had been abolished. Nearly six 126 00:08:24,400 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: decades later, some Catholics in the US believe the loss 127 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: of year round Friday abstinence has done long term damage 128 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,720 Speaker 1: to the community. That's because for many people, eating fish 129 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,560 Speaker 1: on Friday's was more than a form of penance. It 130 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: was a small but meaningful reminder of their religious identity. 131 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: Of course, any Catholics missing that weekly sense of belonging 132 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 1: are welcome to resurrect the Friday fish fry and go 133 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 1: ahead and throw some muskrats and alligators in the mix too. 134 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: While you're at it. Eating those certainly sounds like penance 135 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: to me. I'm Gay Blusier and hopefully you now know 136 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 137 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 1: You can learn even more about history by following us 138 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at E D I HC Show. 139 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,719 Speaker 1: You can also rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, 140 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 1: or you can send your feedback directly by writing to 141 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:24,560 Speaker 1: This Day at I heart media dot com. Thanks as 142 00:09:24,559 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 1: always to Chandler Mays for producing the show, and thanks 143 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: to you for listening. I'll see you back here again 144 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: soon for another Day in History class.