Current practice
Laws of Days of Abstinence Laws of Days of Penance
Begins on one's 14th birthday Applies to all the Faithful
Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent Lent and Fridays outside of Lent
Obliges abstention from flesh meat
Laws of Days of Fast
Applies to everyone aged 18 to 59 inclusive
One full meal permitted and two other meals may be taken which, when combined, are less than a full meal.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
The Discipline of 1962
Laws of Abstinence
Applies on one's 7th birthday
Complete Abstinence all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday, and the Vigil of Christmas
Partial Abstinence ( meat and soup or gravy made from meat permitted once a day at the principal meal): all the days of Lent, the Ember Days of Wednesday and Saturday, and the Vigils of Pentecost and the Assumption.
Abstinence from meat is dispensed on Holy Days of Obligation.
Laws of Fast
Applies for those aged 21 to 59 inclusive
Days of Lent from Ash Wednesday inclusive, Ember Days, and Vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, and the Assumption.
One full meal permitted and two other meals may be taken which, when combined, are less than a full meal.
