The Washington times., 1912-02-21
SEASON OF LENT
IS BEGUN TODAY
ALL OVER WORLD
Forty Days of Penitence for
Catholics and Episco-
palians.

Today is Ash Wednesday in the ca
lenders of the Catholic and Episcopal
Churches, and with 1t begins the forty
day season Of abstinence and repent
ance entoined by centuries of custom.
The Roman Catholic observance Of
Lent is contrasted with the Protestant
episcopal observance chiefly in the fact
tnat speclhc rules, promulgated by vir-
tue OF the indult OF the Holy See of
august 3, 1887. foyern the one, whereas
the episcopal Church ordains in gen.
eral terms that churchmen shall OBJ
5 serve the season by abstinence and
,nS %i1a the conscience q the com
Rules for Catholics.
Following are the rules for Lent in
the District of Columbia as promul-
gated by Cardinal Gibbons as arch
bishop Of this archdiocese:
All the faithful over twenty-one
years, unless legitimately dispensed, are
bound to observe the fast of Lent
They are to take but one full meal a
day, Sundays excepted, which meal
should be taken about noon.
Both fish and flesh are not to be used
| at the same time even by way OF sauce
or condiment, Sunday included.
"A collation. is allowed in the evening.
! food permitted at the time is or can
| be made, but the practice of the most
regular members Of the church is never
to exceed the fourth part Of an ordi-
| nary meal, Or about eight ounces Of
| food in weight.
The Use OF butter, eggs, cheese, and
milk at the evening collation. is toler-
| ated because the custom exists. For
TIE same reason 1t IL permitted to take
with cracker in the morning a cup
Of tea, coffee. or thin chocolate with a
| little milk.
The use OF lard instead OF butter IL
| me- fnn In Aeln .V,1 10
i blss.
The following are EXEMPTED frorl
the obligation of fasting Persons IN
Ger twenty-one years, men who have
| completed their sixtteth year and women
| who have completed their fiftieth, the
: sick, women nursing infants, persons
| who are obliged to labor hard, and all
who, through weakness, cannot fast
without injury to their health.
Dispensation for Some.
[ by Cispensation the use Of flesh is
allowed Ut any time on SUNDAYS and
| once a week on Mondays, Tuesdays,
| Thursdays, and Saturdays, except on
| Saturday of holy week. Exemption
| from fasting does not permit the use of
meat, however, except by dispensation
| from the pastor or confessor. II the
head, of family is permitted to eat
meat those who dine with him are also
permitted 10 do So This regulation is
made so as not TO increase tho expense
| in families, where the head OF the fam
| lily is obliged to labor hard.
| by an indult of March Is. 1908, the
| Holy See empowered the bishops for ten
years to grant laborers, If in their judg-
| ment circumstances call for it, a dispen-
! sation from abstinence on all Fridays
| during the year, on Ash Wednesday, in
| Holy Week, and on Christmas eve. This
bers of the families of such manual
laborers. Those, however, who are
| bound to fast can eat meat only once a
day on fast days and must not use at
the same meal meat and fish or oysters.
Those thus exempted are exhorted to
perform some spiritual work. saying the
third part of the rosary on the days
aims to the poor. or Notifying them
selves by not drinking what they might
rightly use"
Under the general exhortation of the
| Protestant Episcopal Church to observe
a season of abstinence and prayer,
theaters, dances, and amusements gen.
orally are, by custom, tabooed The
most strict churchmen also deny them
selves whatever is the greatest sacrifice,
this to be determined by themselves.
A Lenten Pastoral.
The Rev. r. II. McKim addressed a
Lenten pastoral to churchmen this
morning, saying:
! Lent holds up a mirror to the lives
of us all, that we may see what man.
ner of Christians we are, that we may
repent of our shortcomings, and enter
afresh on the consecrated life of faith
and love. At the same time Lent offers
!. help and healing, light and comfort
strength and refreshment by leading III
} to Him who Is the rest OF the weary
, the strength of the feeble, the com
forter of them that mourn.
IF any of you, my friends, is so pure
that he needs no cleansing, so brave
that he needs no heartering. so wise
that he needs no counsel, so calm thai
he needs no comfort, so steadfast tha
he needs no warning, so full of yea
that he seeds no quiCkenirg, so Christ
, like that he needs no closer walk will
Jesus, so sure of his salvation that HI
needs no diligence to make his calling
and election sure. then he stands in M
need Of observing Lent. But all We wh'
feel your need of help and grace anC
strength and comfort all who would
, fain learn to be better Christians-yol
summon to faithful loving obedien
observance of the Lenten season.