The Black Biretta: Happy 5th Anniversary Your Holiness

Monday, April 19, 2010

April 19, 2005

Anonymous said...: Father Trigilio,

I didn't know where else to contact you where I would likely get an answer, other than on this blog. Please forgive this being off topic (and Happy Birthday B-16!), but here goes!

I was reading on the EWTN Q&A Board, browsing posts from 2002. On a posting, you responded to someone by saying that they should not dispense themselves from Fasting and/or Abstainance on the Fridays of Lent. Can a parish priest (who is not the pastor, but the parochial vicar) dispense a person for health reasons? If so, how is this done?

I am asking because I emailed a parochial vicar priest friend of ours about this very issue a few years ago. He said that both my mom and I (because of poor health) did not have to keep the fasting part of it. (Also, my mom is over 59, I should add.) Is his verbal permission via email enough, or is more needed to dispense us? Also, does it always have to be a pastor, or can a parochial vicar do this in person? No offense to you (we really love you!), but in our area, we seem to have a better time getting along with parochial vicars. On a whole, they also seem to be more orthodox, at least around here!

And, one more thing: does a person over 59 still need to be dispensed?

God Bless,
-Dawn; 8:39 PM

The Black Biretta