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<p>SCRANTON &#8212; With a record snowfall upending routines, meat on your menu may not be high on the list of things to contemplate just now. But for Roman Catholics who dutifully try to abide the proscription against eating meat on Fridays during Lent, meat this Friday may matter.</p><p>After all, it&#8217;s St. Patrick&#8217;s Day.</p><p>If you are feeling conflicted about the urge to celebrate St. Pat with, say, a corned beef sandwich on a day you are obliged to abstain from meat, fear not. Bishop Joseph Bambera has issued a dispensation for all the faithful in the 11-county Diocese of Scranton.</p><p>But in announcing the news, the diocese stressed it is not a free ticket to go, um, hog wild.</p><p>&#8220;During the penitential season of Lent, all Catholics are obliged to abstain from meat on Fridays,&#8221; a statement posted on the diocesan website and sent to area media noted. &#8220;This ecclesiastical law helps us to commemorate as a community the Passion and Death of the Lord and to practice the self-restraint called for by this holy season.&#8221;</p><p>The statement points out, however, that the &#8220;ecclesiastical&#8221; part of the law grants flexibility. Ecclesiastical law is essentially set up by the Church hierarchy, and thus can be &#8220;dispensed&#8221; under certain circumstances.</p><p>&#8220;The bishop is able to dispense from this requirement for the spiritual good of the people entrusted to his care,&#8221; the release notes.</p><p>While St. Patrick&#8217;s Day this year falls a Friday in Lent, &#8220;Bishop Bambera acknowledges that celebrations honoring the Apostle of Ireland contribute to the spiritual good of the faithful in the Diocese of Scranton, and for this reason, he has dispensed all Catholics belonging to the Diocese of Scranton who partake in special celebrations in honor of Saint Patrick on March 17, 2017, from the required abstinence from meat in their celebratory meals.&#8221;</p><p>The dispensation &#8220;applies to celebrations in parishes, fraternal organizations and families,&#8221; the release notes, but it is good for one Friday only.</p><p>His dispensation does not apply to other celebrations of Saint Patrick which take place on other Fridays in Lent.</p><p>And it comes with a recommended alternative to abstinence Friday: &#8220;All the faithful who take advantage of this dispensation are encouraged to perform an act of service, prayer or sacrifice in keeping with the character of the Lenten season.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Bishop: Corned beef OK for Catholics this Friday