Views from the Choir Loft

Clarity Regarding The Pius XII “Turkey” Indult

Jeff Ostrowski · November 27, 2015

EVERAL YEARS AGO, an internet rumor was begun regarding an alleged indult given by Pope Pius XII to Catholics living in the United States. This indult allowed eating meat on the Friday following Thanksgiving.

Whether this rumor is accurate makes no difference, because the rules for Friday abstinence were changed in the 1960s.

Out of curiosity, several of my friends have been searching for documentation to prove conclusively whether this indult was ever given by Pius XII. I’ve never seen any proof, but that doesn’t mean the rumor is false. However, it’s important to remember that for Catholics alive today—even those of us who attend the Traditional Mass—this indult is completely irrelevant since the fasting rules were changed in the 1960s.

Just like any other Friday, Catholics are allowed to eat meat today if they substitute some other penance.

Church disciplines can change. The Eucharistic fast has changed through the years. The laws for fasting in Lent have also changed. A priest once said that Friday abstinence is the Church’s most neglected rule, and it would be difficult to argue with him: so few Catholics know about it these days! Someone told me that in England an effort was made to bring back the old Friday Penance; but I’m not sure if they ever did this and what level of compliance they got.

Meatless Fridays are a lovely and powerful gesture of love for our Lord. (By the way, 25 December is a Friday this year, so the Friday penance does not apply, since Christmas is a solemn feast.)

UPDATE (27 November 2020):

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2020/11/on-mythical-pius-xii-thanksgiving.html

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

19 January 2021 • Confusion over feasts

For several months, we have discussed the complicated history of the various Christmas feasts: the Baptism of the Lord, the feast of the Holy Family, the Epiphany, and so forth. During a discussion, someone questioned my assertion that in some places Christmas had been part of the Epiphany. As time went on, of course, the Epiphany came to represent only three “manifestations” (Magi, Cana, Baptism), but this is not something rigid. For example, if you look at this “Capital E” from the feast of the Epiphany circa 1350AD, you can see it portrays not three mysteries but four—including PHAGIPHANIA when Our Lord fed the 5,000. In any event, anyone who wants proof the Epiphany used to include Christmas can read this passage from Dom Prosper Guéranger.

—Jeff Ostrowski

6 January 2021 • Anglicans on Plainsong

A book published by Anglicans in 1965 has this to say about Abbat Pothier’s Editio Vaticana, the musical edition reproduced by books such as the LIBER USUALIS (Solesmes Abbey): “No performing edition of the music of the Eucharistic Psalmody can afford to ignore the evidence of the current official edition of the Latin Graduale, which is no mere reproduction of a local or partial tradition, but a CENTO resulting from an extended study and comparison of a host of manuscripts gathered from many places. Thus the musical text of the Graduale possesses a measure of authority which cannot lightly be disregarded.” They are absolutely correct.

—Jeff Ostrowski

2 January 2021 • Temptation

When I see idiotic statements made on the internet, I go nuts. When I see heretics promoted by people who should know better, I get angry. Learning to ignore such items is difficult—very difficult. I try to remember the words of Fr. Valentine Young: “Do what God places in front of you each day.” When I am honest, I don’t believe God wants me to dwell on errors and idiocy; there’s nothing I can do about that. During 2021, I will strive to do a better job following the advice of Fr. Valentine.

—Jeff Ostrowski