The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-28
TO PUT BY ALL GAYETY.
THE LENTEN FAST TO BE RIGID
THIS YEAR.

The Regulations Promulgated in the
Roman Catholic Churc 1es-No Indul.
ain the Diocese Of savannah on
Account OF the Grip-Ths Pro-
gramme of Services in the Episco-
peliau Churches TO be Announced
To-Day.
The Lenten season begins Wednesday,
and for the following thirty-nine days So
cial festivities will cease among Roman
Catholics and, Episcopalisns.
Bishop Becker has issued the following
rules and regulations for the observance OF
Lent among Catholics:
All the faithful who have completed their 21st
year are, unless legitimately dispensed, bound
to observe the fast of Lent.
They are to make only one meal a day. ex-
cepting Sundays
The meal allowed on fast days is not to be
TAKEN until about noon.
Flesh meat and fish are not TO be used at the
same meal during Lent.
A small refreshment commonly called oolls-
ticn, is allowed in the evening, not TO exceed
the fourth part of an ordinary meal
At the collation. it is permitted to use bread,
al kinds OF fruits, salads anu vegetables. The
use OF butter, cheese, milk and eggs is also toll
Grated by virtue OF long-estaolished custom.
General usage has made it lawful to take in
the morning, some warm liquid as tea, coffee,
or thin chocolate made with water and mouth
full OF bread.
Necessity and custom have authorized the use
or hogs lard instead or butter in preparing
permitted food
The following persons are exempted from the
obligation of fasting: Persons under 81 years
OF age, the sick, nursing women those who are
Obliged to do hard labor, all who through weak
ness cannot fast without great prejudice to their
health.
By virtue of an indult granted to the bishops
OF these provinces, under date Aug. 3, 1887. the
use OF flesh meat will be allowed at ali meals on
Sundays and once day on Mondays, Tuesdays.
thursdays and Saturdays, with the exception OF
the second and last Saturdays of Lent.
Persons dispensed from the obligation Of fast
ing on account of tender or advanced age, hard
labor or ill-health are free to take meat more
than once on those days when its use is granted
by dispensation.
The faithful are reminded that besides the
obligation of fasting imposed by the church,
this holy season of Lent should be in an especial
manner q time Of earnest prayer, Of sorrow
for sin, of seclusion from the world and its
amusements, and of generous almsgiving.
The PRschal time extends from the first Sun
day OF Lent till Trinity Sunday, during which
time all Catholics who have attained the use of
reason are bound to prepare themselves to re-
ceiye worthiiy holy communion. The season
OF Lent is proper time, also for children to go
to their drst COME sion, which they ought to
DO generally when about years of age
Parents and teachers should see to this.
By command Of the third plsnary council
OF Baltimore a collection is TO be taken up
IN all the churches on the first Sunday OF
Lent for the missions among the Indians
and colored people. Bishop Becker adds:
We require all of our clergy 70 remind their
fiocks TO give Literally for this good work aud to
forward the amount TO our vicar general in Sa-
vannsh. They should also read the general
regulations Ter the observance OF the Lenten
period on each Sunday during Lent.
Every Wednesday night sermon will
he Or0aNhed I'm tho CAehnlin chtNrnhaa nj
Friday nights there will be services Of the
stationa OF the GROSS and beuediotion,
The programmes OF Lenten services In So.
Johns, Christ and st. Pauls Episcopal
churches will be announced to-day.
The first day Of Lent Is Ash Wednesday.
That it did not come within the Quadragesi-
mai period is positive from the testimony
of Gregory the Great. who, in speaking Of
the fast, describes it as of thirty-six
days duratlon-that is as extending over six
weeks, from the frat Sunday OF Lent to
Easter day, emitting Sundays. Thirty~six
days being nearly a tenth Of the year. by
observing the fast Christians were thought
to render penitsntisl 1.-THE Of their lives to
God.
Lent. therefore. at the end of the sixth
century began on the first Sunday, and it Is
known from the sacramentary OF Gelasius
that the practice was the same at the end OF
the fifth century. Ae what time Ash
Wednesday and the three following days
were added TO the fast has not been pre-
cisely ascertained.
In the sacramentary of Pope Gregory
there Is q mass for Ash Wednesday, under
the heading: "Feria w., Caput Jejunii'
beginning OF the fast whence it might be
inferred that Pope Gregory, in spite Of the
words cited above. had himself before his
death sanctioned the alteration in question.
However, this may be, capitulary of
the Church of Toulon (714D and the liturei-
cal work Of AmaurY about 820) describe the
Lenten usage as identical with that of the
present day. There can be nodifficulty in I'M
Outstanding the motive Of the change; for by
the addition of the four days preceding the
first Sunday the number Of fasting days
before Easter. Sundays beng omitted, be-
comes exactly forty, and acoords with the
fasts recorded OF Moses and Elias, and with
that of the Savior in the wilderness of
Judea.
The Office for Ash Wednesday opens with
solemn ceremony which has given the
day its name. After an introit and four
collects in which pardon and mercy are i'm
plored for the penitent, the faithful kneel
at the altar rails while the priest puts ashes
on the forehead of each saying Menlento,
homo. qItG puluts es, ct in putverem Yeuer-
tertS. (Remember, man, that thou art dust
and shalt return % DUST. The ashes are
obtained by burning the palms of the pre- .
vious year. The Lenten pastoral of tho
bishops, regulating the observance of the
season, usually prescribe that the fast on
Ash Wednesday shall be more vigorously
kept than on any other day in, Lent except
The four last days of Holy week.