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Catholics must fast and abstain this valentine’s day – Church
In a letter to his Diocesans, the Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama said the church would not grant an exemption from standard laws. Courtesy photo
What you need to know:
- It adds; “Those who wish to celebrate Valentine’s Day may fittingly do so the day before or on another non-penitential day. The good Lord who suffered so much out of love for us, will surely reward our fidelity and sacrifice!”
- According to the Catholic Canon law, all Catholics aged between 18 and 60 are bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
The Catholic Church says believers must observe Ash Wednesday.
This year, Ash Wednesday, which begins the season of lent with a day of prayer, fasting and abstinence falls on February 14, Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day which is meant to celebrate the Christian martyr St Valentine has for long been a celebration of romantic love.
However, the Catholic Church in several parts of the world has clarified that Lent is more important, and suggested that Catholics pick some other day to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
In a letter to his Diocesans, the Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama said the church would not grant an exemption from standard laws.
“Out of respect for the importance of Ash Wednesday in the lives of so many, including our non-Catholic brethren, and the way this custom underlines the importance of Lenten season at its outset, a dispensation will not be given,” a letter from the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama reads.
It adds; “Those who wish to celebrate Valentine’s Day may fittingly do so the day before or on another non-penitential day. The good Lord who suffered so much out of love for us, will surely reward our fidelity and sacrifice!”
According to the Catholic Canon law, all Catholics aged between 18 and 60 are bound to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
