The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-02-09
LETTER OF THE MOST REVEREND ARCHBISHOP


who may make use of the privileges of
the Indult to be still mindful of their
duty to practice self-denial, and he
counsels that instead of the alb
stinence from meat some other sacri-
flee of bodily comfort be practiced,
the Sovereign Pontiff himself sug-
gesting as such sacrifice abstinence
from intoxicating drinks.
Days CT Fast and Abstinence Outside
the Lenten Season.
Other days of fast .and abstinence
occurring during the year are the
Ember days and the Vigils of certain
festivals. The Ember days are:
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday,
February 20, % and %; Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday, May %, "a and
25; Wednesday, Friday and Saturday,
September IS, 20 and 81; Wednesday,
Friday and Saturday, December 18,
20 and 21. The Vigils are: The Vigil
of Pentecost, May IS; that of the AS
sumption, August IA; that of All
Saints, October 81; and that of Christ
mas, December "a.
All Fridays are, of course, days of
abstinence. The abstinence which for
merly was obligatory on Saturdays
has been dispensed with by Apostolic
favor to the faithful of the United
States.
The Pontiflcal 1ndult, of which we
,,t,f,
ple' from the abstinence on Vigils
and Ember days, except when such
Vigils and Ember days fall on Friday.
: Pastors will make to their fiocks, in
the usual terms, due announcements
of approaching Ember days and Wig
| lis, adding to such announcements a
statement of the privileges given by
the Indult to working people"
General Remarks.
When doubt exists as to whether
ones condition or circumstances allow
exemption from the precepts of fast
ing and abstinence, counsel should be
asked from confessors or pastors, who
are the authoritative interpreters of
the law, and who even are empowered
in special cases, for good and sufficient
reasons, indicated or suggested in
Catholic theology, to commute the
precepts of fasting and abstinence to
other penitential works.
In enjoining upon the faithful the
precepts of fast and abstinence, Holy
Church is mindful of the evangelical
law of self-denial, of which the
Saviour and His Apostles were, by
example and by word, most eminent
teachers. Without self-denial there is
no Christianity. Indeed, without self
denial there is no natural morality.
The man who has not acquired by
habit the power of self-restraint will
not be victorious over sin amid the
storms and temptations of life which
all are compelled to encounter.
| The observance of the fast and alb
stinences prescribed by the Church is
taken as a public and fearless pro-
| fession of Catholic faith. He who,
without sufficient or obvious reasons,
eats meat or takes his usual meals
when abstinence or fast is enjoined,
| becomes an occasion of scandal, and
is not accepted as practical Catho-
| lie.
| Let Catholics, therefore, have the
courage of self-denial for the sake of
| Christ and of their own souls, and be
on their guard lest by their acts scan
dal be given, and the fair name of
| their religion be dishonored.
During Lent pastors will hold spe-
! cial exercises of devotion in their sew
eral churches at appointed times. In
structions of a practical character
upon the Christian duties, the nature
of the sacraments and the preparation
for their reception, should be given
on those occasions.
The devotion of the Way of the
Cross will be observed, if at all pos
sible, in all churches and chapels on
the Friday evenings throughout Lent.
X JOHN IRELAND,
Archbishop of ST. Paul.
Whatever collection is taken up in
churches on Good Friday is, as usual.
according to letter Of the Holy Fa-
ther, to be applied in aid of the mis-
sion Of Palestine.
| st. Paul, February 6, 1918.
| L. s.