Bishop grants St Patty’s dispensation.
Something about an Italian Bishop telling a bunch of Irish Catholics that it’s OK to eat meat on a Lenten Friday makes me suspicious. He better not be trying to keep us out of heaven.
Similar dispensations in your area?
Lansing’s Bishop Mengeling has given similar dispensation. However, he urges:
This frequently happens with St. Patrick’s day falls on a Friday. A dispensation is proclaimed, and the faithful are urged to abstain on another day.
And don’t think that it’s just the Irish Catholics who enjoy corned beef. My father’s parents, who were Sicilian immigrants, learned to love corned beef and cabbage, too, from their Irish neighbors. Grandma Bodoni was always swapping recipes with everyone, she didn’t care what their ethnic background was.
A few years ago, my grandfather, an 80 year old (at the time) transplanted Louisiana Cajun, was in the mood for some good corned beef and cabbage, which is sold everywhere here on Parade Day. Despite the numerous Irish bars and restaraunts in the area, they went to a restaraunt called “A Slice of Italy.” 
The food came out, my grandfather had a bite, and said "Well, I guess that’s what I get for coming to a pizza joint for corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day. " 
The feast of Saint Patrick is celebrated as a solemnity throughout Australia so no dispensation is required.
Which reminds me. I need to pick up a corned beef, some cabbage and some potatoes.
Robin
MsRobyn, do you get flat cut or point cut? I go with what’s cheaper, which is usually point cut. Is there a big difference? I’m the only one in the house who eats it, so I’m fine with the cheap, but if flat cut is markedly better, I’ll grab a small one of those.
Wasn’t there a big flap a few years ago when a bishop in a largely Irish Catholic city (was it Boston?) refused a dispensation for St. Paddy’s Day?
Ya know, this is why I love the Catholics!
I’ve actually thought of becoming a Catholic and less frequently Eastern Orthodox. If I were to do the Christian thing I’d definitely become Catholic, They got the history and the original formula (I also like incense and ritual).
It was Boston. Opening Day at Fenway fell on Good Friday last year (year before that, maybe). Fenway Franks contain at least a trace amount of meat. The Bishop refused dispensation to allow fans to eat meat (including the hot dogs sold at the ballpark) that day.
I got flat cut only because that’s all the supermarket had. I can’t believe there aren’t more Irish Catholics where I live. (Although it was on special for 99 cents a pound, so it was a good deal.)
Robin
Bishop Anthony Pilla of Cleveland, Ohio announced a dispensation here, too.
Makes no difference to me - I’m not Catholic.
Hmm, all this is most intriguing.
As far as my knowledge of Catholics in England & Wales goes (and I have been a Catholic in either England or Wales for most of my 46 years), nobody refrains from eating meat on a Friday any more, whether during Lent or indeed at any other time of the year. Apparently, the English bishops managed to “abolish” compulsory Friday abstinence as long ago as 1967. The only time we are not supposed to eat meat these days is on the remaining two designated days of fasting & abstinence, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
[George Carlin] THIS LAW IS ETERNAL! Except for this weekend… [/GC]
I expect that what the bishops did was to expand the number of options available to Catholics to perform their Friday penance. So abstaining from meat simply became one of many options, including going without something else; additional prayers; attending daily mass etc. I’d be surprised if the requirement to do *some form * of penance on Fridays during Lent wasn’t still in place in the dioceses of England and Wales.
usar_jag you made my day! 
It happened here in Rochester a few years back, too.