Why do roman catholics eat fish on Good Friday?

Answer 1

It is done as more of a penance.

Roman Catholic AnswerCatholics abstain from meat on Good Friday to honor the day on which Our Blessed Lord offered His life on the cross for our salvation. It is one of the precepts or commandments of the Church.

Answer 2

Roman Catholics do not necessarily eat fish on Good Friday, or on any other Friday for that matter. They abstain from eating the flesh of warmblooded animals and birds, as well as anything (such as soups and gravy) made using flesh-meat. Catholics also fast from food on Good Friday. They have only one full meal on that day. The same fasting from food and abstaining from meat are also observed on Ash Wednesday (at the beginning of the six-week Season of Lent). This custom arose because Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, died on Good Friday and His Death is commemorated on every Friday of the year (so it is a widespread custom to abstain from meat foods on all Fridays of the year, except when a special religious feast falls on a Friday). Instead of meat products, Catholics might eat eggs, cheese, fish or products made with non-meat ingredients. Less than a hundred years ago, those Catholics who fasted during Lent (and at other times) would not eat eggs or cheese, or drink milk, or use any food-products from animals or birds. That is why the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Shrove Tuesday) is also known as Pancake Day, because all the animal/bird products would be used up in pancakes before the beginning of the food-fast of Lent. For six days of the week Catholics would fast from food and abstain from meat/meat products. On Sundays in Lent there is no fasting or abstaining, because every Sunday is the commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Thus there was/is no requirement to eat fishspecifically on a Friday or fast-day. However, fish used to be the food of the poor and the humble, whilst meat was had by the more affluent. It is ironical that, at the present time, fish tends to be more expensive than meat, so eating fish is no longer a cultural way of observing humility. By the way, in the fifth and sixth weeks of Lent, many Catholics chose to eat only vegetables (often uncooked), either with or without bread; they would drink only water. This was called the Black Fast. It must also be made clear that not all Catholics had to follow fast and abstinence. The very young (up to 14 years of age) and the very old (past 65 years of age) were exempted, as were pregnant women and those who were ill. Those people whose livelihoods involved hard physical work were also exempted from the full observance of fasting.

Answer 3

The ban on eating meat on Good Friday was originally declared in the Latin language. The Latin word for 'meat' does not include 'fish' in its meaning.