Question One: On Fasting According to Itself

S. Th. II-II, q. 147, a. 1, 2, 3, 6.

949. Notion of fasting. - Fasting is one thing when it is natural, which consists in abstinence from food and drink from some hour: this of itself is not an act of virtue; nevertheless it can be ordained to virtue, and thus it is prescribed by the Church before the reception of the Eucharist, in which case it pertains to religion because it is prescribed in reverence for the sacrament, and is customarily called eucharistic. But the fasting concerning which we speak in the present matter can be called moral, and consists in abstinence from food and drink according to reason, that is, according to the proper ends of the virtue of abstinence, whether on account of human reasons, for example, on account of bodily health, a good disposition of the mind for studying, and then it is philosophical, or on account of supernatural reasons, for example, on account of restraining concupiscence and subjection of the body to the mind so that we may better exercise supernatural virtue, and then it is Christian. This, having been prescribed by the Church according to a special mode to be observed at a determined time, is then called ecclesiastical.

Hence moralists customarily distinguish threefold fasting: eucharistic - moral - ecclesiastical.

950. Fasting is an act of virtue, because it is ordained to some honest good, namely, 1) to repressing concupiscences of the flesh (II Cor. VI, 5-6); 2) to this, that the mind may be more freely elevated to contemplating sublime things (Dan. X); 3) to satisfying for sins (Joel II, 12); moreover it has the power of impetrating spiritual and temporal benefits, especially when it is joined to prayer. Hence the Church praises God who "by bodily fasting represses vices, elevates the mind, grants virtue and rewards"; and the Scriptures and Fathers, by the warnings and examples of Christ, the Apostles, and the first faithful, commend fasting (Acts XIII, 3; XIV, 22; II Cor. VI, 5; Joel II, 12; Aug., 7 serm. on fasting; Jerome, book 1 against Jovinian).

But in order that it be an act of virtue, it must be conformed to right reason, which commands two things to be observed in temperance, namely, the preservation of life and of the power for due works. Hence a) if from evil intention someone abstains, for example, so that he may die or be weakened, or be incapable of carrying out due offices, it is an act directly opposed to the virtue of temperance, and gravely so whenever notable harm or impotence for a gravely intended office follows; likewise, if it is done from the intention of singularity, it will be a venial sin of vainglory or boasting; b) if it is done not from an evil intention but from a motive of virtue, yet in such a way that someone renders himself incapable for a due work, it will be a grave or light sin as was said; but if it only shortens life or contracts infirmity without impotence for due offices, it is done licitly, provided the reason for abstaining is so great that it is equivalent to the harm brought about; otherwise illicitly.

951. Fasting is per se an act elicited by the virtue of abstinence. - For every act of virtue belongs to that virtue which establishes the mean in that matter. But fasting is concerned with foods, in which the virtue of abstinence finds the mean. Therefore.

Yet it can be done also for other ends and be commanded by other virtues: by charity, religion, penance, chastity, etc., for example, that we may love God better, that we may satisfy for sin, that we may flee lust. Hence it will not always be an act of abstinence formally, but then only if also, at least partially, it is done from the proper motive of abstinence, namely, that the mind may be more suitable for its functions and for virtue.

952. The precept of fasting. - Fasting is a useful good and therefore is not prescribed per se, but only in order to the end for which it is useful. Now the utilities of fasting enumerated can ordinarily be obtained otherwise, and therefore by the law of nature it is not prescribed absolutely for all, but only relatively for those for whom it is necessary and insofar as it is necessary for them. Yet because generally it is very useful for all, therefore the Church determined the law of nature and established the time and mode of fasting to be observed commonly by all.¹

¹ On the history of ecclesiastical fasting, cf. Tanquerey, Th. M. fundamentalis, nn. 1108-1110; Prummer, Th. M., II, n. 652; and Vermeersch, Th. M., III, in the appendix.

Therefore ecclesiastical fasting is that which is done according to the mode prescribed by the Church, introduced by custom.

The mode consisted in three things, namely, in taking a single meal in the day, to be held at a fitting hour, without forbidden foods, namely, meats and sometimes also eggs and dairy products which have their origin from flesh. Thus it includes several very diverse parts, and indeed three principal ones: one essential, without which fasting is not even conceived, a single meal in the day; and two integral parts, the hour at which the meal is to be held, and abstinence in the meal from a certain quality of foods. From these things it is established that the precept of fasting is virtually multiple and divisible; whence one part can be prescribed by the Church without the others, for example, abstinence from flesh without fasting; and also one part can be dispensed without the others, for example, in abstinence and not in fasting, or conversely; and one must be observed when the other becomes impossible to observe.²

² Benedict XIV, Non ambigimus, 30 May 1741.

In fact the Church imposes abstinence upon those who are not bound to fast, as a distinct precept, so to speak; and fasting remains prescribed for those who are dispensed in abstinence. Hence the new Code of law already considers these as a twofold precept: fasting strictly so called and abstinence, so that not only is abstinence prescribed without fasting, but now sometimes fasting is prescribed without abstinence, which formerly did not happen.

953. The time of fasting is indicated by can. 1252: "The law of abstinence and fasting together is to be observed on Ash Wednesday, on Fridays and Saturdays³ of Lent, and on the ember days, on the vigils of Pentecost, of the Mother of God assumed into heaven, of All Saints, and of the Nativity of the Lord.

³ In Belgium, by indult, Wednesday in place of Saturday.

"The law of fasting alone is to be observed on all the remaining days of Lent.

"On Sundays or feasts of precept the law of abstinence, or of abstinence and fasting, or of fasting alone ceases, except for a feast in the time of Lent, nor are vigils anticipated."

The faculty of dispensing from the aforesaid law was granted to Ordinaries. Yet that faculty by the Decree of the Congregation of the Council of 28 January 1949 was restricted in such a way:

1. that abstinence be observed on each Friday;

2. that the law of abstinence and fasting together be observed on Ash Wednesday, on Friday of Great Week, and on the vigils of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Further, however, the obligation of ecclesiastical abstinence and fasting on the vigil of the Assumption was transferred to the vigil of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on 7 December (S. C. Conc., 25 July 1957), and moreover the grace was granted of anticipating the obligation of abstinence and fasting from the twenty-fourth day, the vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, to the twenty-third day of the month of December, and this for all the faithful of the Catholic world (S. Congr. Conc., 3 Dec. 1959).

It should especially be noted that the final words of can. 1252: "likewise it ceases (the law of abstinence and fasting) on Holy Saturday after noon," no longer have force. For the liturgical order of Holy Week having been changed by decree of the S. C. of Rites (16 Nov. 1955), the law of fasting and abstinence ceases only at midnight on Holy Saturday.

Thus according to the universal law; besides this, a particular obligation can exist:

a) An Ordinary can impose a day of fasting by way of act (can. 1244, § 2).

b) Before the consecration of a church, the consecrating Pontiff and those who ask that the church be consecrated to them must fast through the day which precedes the consecration (can. 1166, § 2): thus among others the pastor, but not the people, unless the people itself had built the church at its own expense or had asked that it be consecrated to itself (S. C. C., 3 July 1909).

c) From a vow a physical or moral person can be obligated: thus, for example, at Rome fasting is to be observed on the vigil of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (S. C. C., 18 Feb. 1911; 25 Feb. 1912).

d) The constitutions and rules of a religion or approved institute can prescribe fasting for its members.

In all these things nothing was changed by the new code of law (can. 1253); whence if someone is exempted from the obligation of the universal law, he is not thereby yet exempted from a precept by which he would be bound particularly: thus, for example, religious can be bound before the twenty-first year and after the sixtieth.