Can Catholics eat bacon ?

[Boaz]

Are Catholics allowed by their beliefs to eat bacon ?

[9.3X62AL]

AFAIK, there are no restrictions against bacon consumption per se.

[brewer12345]

Yes, although not on Fridays during Lent when all "meat" is forbidden. The definition of meat is as odd as a congressional district map. The Belgians or Dutch convinced a pope to rule that muskrat and beaver did not count as meat since they came from the water like fish, for example.

[dbosman]

Based on the country neighborhood kids families, when I was a kid, yes. Especially the farms that raised hogs for slaughter.

[Thundarstick]

In the chapel, curious?

[GhostHawk]

I believe all the old Jewish "Kosher" laws went out with the rise of Christianity.

Many others in the area have similar rules, won't eat pork.

I have seen several Catholic Priests chow down bacon and pancakes like there is no tomorrow.


In history, in the area concerned, there were no domesticated pigs, the boars and sows that did live there lived in the foulest swamps. They were considered unclean, and indeed you should even today cook your pork well enough to kill the parasites they can still carry.

Parasites that can migrate to humans and ruin your life eating uncooked or not thoroughly enough cooked pork.

Not as likely true from a reputable farm. But a feral or wild pig can still have Trichinosis.

With the resurrection of the son all the rules changed. Even the day of worship.

But I think it is important to remember, Jesus himself was raised with the Sabbath. He would have worshiped after sundown friday eve. So if you are really looking for some extra special attention. Try lighting 2 candles after the sun sets friday evening. And invite him into your house. You might be surprised.

[NWPilgrim]

Of course! Have you ever been to Spain, especially Castille y Leon or Toledo, etc.? Every thing is "jamon" (ham). I think it was partly to spit in the eye of the pushed out muslims in the 15th century.

Curious why the question is asked. Do you know a Catholic who does not like bacon and thought it was their religious restriction? Before the Protestants started out in the 16th century there was a lot of bacon eating going on in Europe by Christians (Catholics) for 1,500 years.

[sparkyv]

In Acts 10, God overturned the old clean/unclean distinctions and dietary laws in general. Yes, we Catholics LOVE bacon!

Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12†In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13†And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” 14But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” 15And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

[yeahbub]

Oh yeah, Catholics have no restrictions on bacon specifically. In fact, the biblical passage in 1 Corinthians 10:23-30 applies here as to what Catholics can eat. Basically, anything but that which is offered to idols. Brewer12345 is correct about Lent during which strict abstention is required on Fridays with fasting also performed during the rest of the week, though meat is permitted, one full meal and two smaller "half meals" per day. Can't be having the laborer lose his job for lack of strength or compromise the health of the ill and elderly. Meatless Fridays came about during a period of history when meat was expensive and usually reserved for special occasions. Meatless Fridays are a penitential act acknowledging the crucifixion of Christ on Good Friday. A penitential act is required of Catholics, but the option is there to do something else if circumstances are such that abstaining is contra-indicated. As in, if a Catholic is invited to a great reception on Friday at considerable effort and expense, the thing to do is to join the guests in their celebration of the wedding or whatever, and do a separate penitential act on one's own, such as prayer and meditation on Scripture beyond what one normally does. Mostly, the simplest thing is to observe meatless Fridays and contemplate the price paid by the One from Whom all good things come.

[JimB..]

Long ago Lent involved 40 days of fasting. This meant no food before sundown and no meat for the entire fasting period. Things have obviously changed over the centuries.

Bacon is good, IMHO.

[Tom W.]

Yup. I was raised Catholic, but as Dad was a Marine we had no real restrictions on meat on Fridays. Mom tried to get fish for Friday, but if not, anything was good.

It did surprise me to see Andrew Zimmern eating pork on his TV show. I thought pork was verboten for Jewish people.

It just goes to show you that God will take you when He's ready, not necessarily when you do something that's not kosher........

[RPRNY]

Interestingly, there is case to be made that, at one time in the Church's history, it was de rigeur, at least in His Catholic Majesty's Most Holy Spanish Empire.

Following the reconquista, in which Spain and Portugal were liberated from the Moorish occupation, there were substantial populations of Muslims and Jews, who were welcome under Moorish rule, who made the appearance of having converted to Christianity, the alternative being death or flight, of course. The Inquisition was, in part, a political effort at what today might be called ethnic cleansing. It was to ferret out the non-Catholics and 'remove ' them, generally by torture and execution but, from time to time by 'conversion ' , from the Spanish Empire.

Neither Muslims nor Jews having the privilege of eating Senõr Hawg, the serving of pork (and liquor vis-a-vis the Mohammedans) was a way to do said ferreting. The prevalence of pork dishes in Iberian cuisine may have to do with this fact. If, for example, the rather dusky hook-nosed fellow next door whose land you coveted didn't want to make a deal? Well invite him over for some piggy-wiggy and Rioja. If he doesn't dig in, pitch him to Torquemada and split his land with the Church.

While those days may have been rather unpleasant in retrospect, they were far better than the more recent ills of the Parrish priest trying to play hide the sausage with the altar boys...

[Greg S]

If so, that would donaway with alot of cured italian meats such as panchetta and prosciutto off the top of my head.

[UKShootist]

Bacon is, IMHO, proof positive that at least two major religions are wrong. No God worthy of the name would create a world that has something so utterly, divinely, delicious, and then forbid us to eat it. QED.

[Hickory]

I have learned more about the Catholic Church here then I ever wanted or needed to know.

[6bg6ga]

Jews don't eat pork. Catholics can eat any meat unless its lent.

[Thundarstick]

Why is this in the" chapel" in the first place? Why not the PIT or theological discussions?

That said, I have a boss that's a fine Christian man that won't touch pork on religious grounds, and he's certainly not Catholic. Personally, I think it's a rightly dividing issue, and you can eat what ever you want by God.

How's this? I have a Granddaughter that just about won't eat any kind of meat unless is highly processed. The subject of bacon came up and she went on and on about how much she liked bacon. I exclaimed, "I thought you don't like meat?", she said bacon isn't really meat! Figure that one out?

[rosewood]

Yes, although not on Fridays during Lent when all "meat" is forbidden. The definition of meat is as odd as a congressional district map. The Belgians or Dutch convinced a pope to rule that muskrat and beaver did not count as meat since they came from the water like fish, for example.

It is my understanding that the translation of "meat" really should have been terrestrial animals or something like that. That is why fish is ok, not terrestrial.

Rosewood

[6bg6ga]

This should go to the pit before my responses end up magically erased again. I really wonder why this thread was started in the first place. The OP should have simply Googled it or gone to WWW.catholic.com for their answer.

[koehn,jim]

Many of you should look up the newer rules for fast during lent, you will be surprised that it has become very easy to follow. It is no where as hard as it used to be, we also can eat all the bacon we want, personally I prefer corned beef.