Can Catholics eat meat on St. Patrick's Day? Some dioceses grant dispensations
CBSN
St. Patrick's Day this year coincides with Lenten Friday, when Catholics traditionally abstain from meat. But after several dioceses across the United States granted dispensations, some Catholics will be able to indulge.
The Lenten loophole has been granted in a number of cities, including Boston, Washington, D.C., and in both of the dioceses covering New York City.
"This year, the Feast of St. Patrick, the patron saint of our Archdiocese, falls on a Friday during Lent. Given the importance of this feast in the life of the Archdiocese and in the lives of many Catholics, Cardinal Seán is granting a dispensation from the Friday Lenten abstinence on March 17, 2023, to those who wish to take advantage of this opportunity," the Archdiocese of Boston wrote in a statement. "This is a one day only dispensation."