Norwich bulletin., 1918-02-04
REGULATIONS FOR LENT
 EMRopv PATRIOTIC COUNSEL.
Bishop John ]. Milan Urges the Half Million Catholics of the Diocese to Adept Governments Self Denial Measures,

Tn all our prayers let us beseech our Heavenly Father to grant HIS blessing to the cause Of our country and hestow the strength of His love upon all who have consecrated them selves to unselish sacrifices In HIS holy naslae,n reads 8 sentence from the diocesan regulations for the observ- allce of the holy season of Lent as pre- pared for the diocese of Hartford by Bishop John J. Milan under date of Jan. 51. and to be read in the Catholic churches of the diocese Sunday Bishop Milan explains that while the reguiR- hence than hitherto in the matter of food, all should cheerfuiiy obey the call made by the nation in the present crisis to citizens for self denial and sacrifice in specified lines, and urges compliance with the request of the government.
 Bishop Milan recommends that ob- servance should be given to civic au- thority directions and suggests that the greatest economy should be prac- ticed in the use of fuel as well as ab- stinence from wheat on Mondays and Wednesdays and at one evening meal every day during Lent, abstinence from meat on Tuesdays and at one meal a day on all other days of the week, abstinence from all kinds of fat as far as possible and from sugar in any form that is not essential.
 Among the regulations is one which reads:
 The abstinence days for soldiers and sailors actually engaged in the service of the United States are Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Holy Satur- day till noon (besides Christmas eve and the Eve of the Assumption, out side the season of Lent)." ~ After listing the regulations, Bishop Milan says in part:
 "As will be seen By the above regu. l lations, even less abstinence thar ! hitherto Is demanded in the matter ol | food; the spirit of the Lenten fast
 however. remains. Self deriel is tht I basis of the moral order, the begin, ming of the spiritual progress. Ths
 church does not relax the rigor of he
 discipline to belittie the necessity O
 modification but to give more freedom
 in the manner of practieing it.
 With all the more reason, then
 should we cheerfully obey the cal which in the present crisis is made b,
 the nation to all citizens for self denia
 and sacrifice along certain specific. lines, Millions of our fellow men fac
 starvation and cath. The governmen
 of the United States appeals to us t forego luxuries and restrict ourselve
 to the bare neeessarles of life so that out of our abundance, we may feed tn Hungry, support the destitute an i,safeguard the existence of men an
 nations. Compliance with this reaues
 in the name of Christian charity is n
 less connmendable than the practice C
 self denial for our personal perfection
 In either case We are fulfilling tn
 great commandment of love by seryic
 of God and our neighhor in the mos
 practical and salutsry observance (
 mercy. The Son of God has mad
 known to us the terms of His sen
 tence on the day of judgment: Amer , I say to you, as long as you did it |
 one of these my least brethren, you di
 it to Me-. Matt. XIV, 40.
 . "Only by the utmost eyactness i cooperating with the government ca
 we provide the means necessary 1 support our neighbors as we'll as oul selves. The self indulgence of the fe' , may be the cause of suffering to tn many If those who can afford to pa take advantage ofethe opportunity | ] acquire a surplus by guilty hoardin
 the poor will be deprived of the mear , to live and irrenafable wrong will I ! done our country's cause Our e i operation is sought especially in u matter of food and fuel. While. u church hah modified. the stringency
 her discipline relating to fast and al y stinenee, it is incumbent on us all , l observe the regulations made by Il g officers of our state and federal goN , ernment. In addition to the restrit i, tions imposed by ecclesiastical la, : due observance should be given directions issued by civil authority" i Bishop Milan then summarizes u
 different days of self denial ordere e by the government authorities.