Fast Days
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Catholic fasting rules explained: modern, traditional and historical
The Church's fasting discipline has changed several times over two thousand years. This page sets out what is required of Catholics today, what the traditional 1917 rules asked, what the early Church kept, and who is excused.
The rules today (since 1966)
Under the current Code of Canon Law (canons 1249 to 1253) and Paul VI's apostolic constitution Paenitemini, Latin-rite Catholics are bound to:
- Fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. One full meal, plus two smaller meals that together do not add up to a full meal. No eating between meals. Water and medicine never break the fast.
- Abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and every Friday of Lent. Fish, shellfish, eggs and dairy are allowed.
- Do penance on every other Friday of the year. The universal law still names meat abstinence; bishops' conferences may allow another penance in its place. The United States and Canada allow substitution. England and Wales restored obligatory Friday abstinence in 2011. If a solemnity falls on a Friday, the obligation does not apply.
| Obligation | Who is bound |
|---|---|
| Fasting | Ages 18 to 59 inclusive |
| Abstinence from meat | Age 14 and over |
| Fast before Communion | One hour from food and drink other than water and medicine |
That is a total of two fast days and eight abstinence days in a typical year. See Lent 2027 for the exact dates, and Can Catholics eat meat on Friday? for the Friday rule in detail.
The traditional rules (1917 Code of Canon Law)
Between 1918 and 1966 the discipline was much fuller. Canons 1250 to 1254 of the 1917 Code required:
- Fasting on every weekday of Lent, from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday noon, about 40 days.
- Fasting on the twelve Ember Days, three days at the start of each season.
- Fasting on four vigils: the eves of Pentecost, the Assumption (14 August), All Saints (31 October) and Christmas (24 December).
- Abstinence from meat every Friday of the year, and complete abstinence on the Fridays and Saturdays of Lent and on Ash Wednesday. Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays were days of partial abstinence, with meat allowed only at the main meal.
On a fast day the one full meal could be taken at midday or in the evening, with a small breakfast of about two ounces of bread and a collation of about eight ounces in the evening. Fasting bound ages 21 to 59 (18 to 59 in the United States by particular law) and abstinence from age 7. Roughly 90 days of the year carried some obligation. This is the discipline the Fast Days app calls the Traditional tier.
The historical strict rules (before 1741)
The early and medieval Church kept Lent more severely still. The single daily meal was originally eaten after sunset, later at three in the afternoon, and by the fourteenth century at noon. Throughout Lent the lacticinia were forbidden as well as meat: no eggs, milk, butter or cheese. Pope Benedict XIV relaxed the lacticinia rule in 1741. Many religious rules added Wednesday abstinence and a fast from All Saints or the feast of the Holy Cross on 14 September until Christmas or Easter. The app's Historical Strict tier reconstructs this observance, at roughly 185 obligation days a year.
Fasting versus abstinence
| Fasting | Abstinence | |
|---|---|---|
| Limits | How much you eat | What you eat |
| Rule | One full meal and two smaller collations | No meat or meat broth; fish, eggs and dairy allowed |
| Today | Ash Wednesday, Good Friday | Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Fridays of Lent |
| Ages | 18 to 59 | 14 and over |
Who is exempt
The law of fasting is meant to help, never to harm. The Church excuses:
- Anyone under 18 or aged 60 and over (fasting); anyone under 14 (abstinence).
- Women who are pregnant or nursing.
- Those who are ill, recovering from surgery, managing a chronic condition, taking medication that requires food, or with a history of disordered eating.
- Those engaged in heavy physical work.
If you are excused, you may still keep abstinence if you wish, or take on another penance such as extra prayer or almsgiving. When in doubt, ask your doctor and your parish priest. The Fast Days app lets you record an exemption so its calendar and reminders adjust.
A short timeline
| Before 1741 | Lenten fast with no meat, eggs or dairy; one meal a day |
| 1741 | Benedict XIV permits eggs and dairy in Lent |
| 1917 | Code of Canon Law fixes the traditional discipline: Lent, Ember Days, vigils, every Friday |
| 1953 and 1957 | Pius XII shortens the Eucharistic fast to three hours, then allows water at any time |
| 1966 | Paul VI's Paenitemini: only Ash Wednesday and Good Friday remain fast days; conferences may substitute Friday penances |
| 1983 | New Code of Canon Law confirms the 1966 discipline; Eucharistic fast of one hour |
See every fast day on your phone
Fast Days computes the whole year for whichever rule set you choose, modern, traditional or historical strict, and reminds you on the morning a fast or abstinence day arrives. Free, no account.
Download Fast Days free on the App StoreFrequently asked questions
Can I eat between meals on a fast day?
No. The two smaller meals are the only food besides the main meal. Water, coffee, tea and medicine are fine.
Does fish count as meat?
No. Abstinence forbids the flesh of warm-blooded land animals and birds, and broths made from them. Fish and shellfish are permitted, as are eggs, milk and cheese.
What if I forget and eat meat on a Friday of Lent?
An honest lapse is not a sin. Make a small penance later in the day if you can, and carry on.
Do Eastern Catholics follow the same rules?
No. Eastern Catholic churches keep their own, generally stricter, traditions with Wednesday and Friday abstinence and several fasting seasons. This page describes the Latin rite.
Sources: Code of Canon Law (1983), canons 919 and 1249 to 1253; 1917 Code of Canon Law, canons 858 and 1250 to 1254; Paul VI, Paenitemini (17 February 1966); Pius XII, Christus Dominus (1953) and Sacram Communionem (1957). This page gives religious guidance, not medical advice.