I get really frustrated with social media. Fake posts run rampant and people run with the so-called information and then get upset when they are corrected. I speak, specifically, about a recent “report” that Pope Francis said to eat whatever you want during Lent. It’s not true. There is a dietary law set out by the Church that we are to follow.
Specifically, from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) website:
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.
If you want to read the correction regarding what people claim the Pope said, click here.