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In light of the toll a novel strain of coronavirus is taking on the country, some U.S. Roman Catholic bishops are upending church tradition by relaxing parishioners Lenten duties.

During Lent, a period of fasting and reflection leading up to Easter, Catholics over the age of 14 are traditionally obligated to refrain from eating meat on Fridays. But bishops in New Jersey , Pennsylvania , Louisiana and other states have issued dispensations from this rule due to the social and economic upheaval caused by the pandemic.

In New York, the current epicenter of the outbreak in the U.S., state officials ordered residents last Friday to stay at home for the foreseeable future. Brooklyn Bishop Rev. Nicholas DiMarzio issued a dispensation that same day in an effort to lighten the loads of Catholics who have trouble shopping for food.

In the week since he announced the dispensation, DiMarzios diocese has issued press releases about 13 parishioners who contracted the new coronavirus and had visited church buildings including a priest, a nun and several choir members. On Wednesday, the diocese announced that an elderly parishioner had died of the disease.

In New York state, more than 500 people had died of COVID-19 as of Friday.

From the Bishop's Desk:

\"I have granted a dispensation from abstaining from meat on Fridays for the rest of Lent, except Good Friday which is universal law. \" - Most Rev. James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen pic.twitter.com/Lwr1GBso6n

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From the Bishop's Desk:

"I have granted a dispensation from abstaining from meat on Fridays for the rest of Lent, except Good Friday which is universal law. " - Most Rev. James F. Checchio, Bishop of Metuchen pic.twitter.com/Lwr1GBso6n
Diocese of Metuchen (@diocesemetuchen) March 26, 2020

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux noted that COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, has made observing the traditional fast from meat tough for his parishioners in southern Louisiana. The state has seen nearly 120 COVID-19 deaths so far.

The new Corona Virus Disease or COVID-19 has placed most, if not all, of our faithful in a situation where obtaining food, including meal alternatives from meat, the rising cost of fish and other forms of seafood, and even the challenge of being able to obtain groceries without endangering their health, make it clearly difficult for them to fulfill this practice.

He encouraged Catholics who take advantage of this dispensation to substitute their traditional fast from meat with other forms of penance, particularly acts of charity.

Rev. Peter J. Uglietto, auxiliary bishop of Boston, said Catholics are called at this time to make the best of what we have at hand or is available for purchase.

Many people are using what they have stored in their freezers and on their shelves, he wrote in a letter announcing a dispensation for his archdiocese Thursday. Others are depending upon pre-packaged meals or food delivered through support agencies.

Most bishops are still upholding the requirement for Catholics ages 18 to 59 to fast on Good Friday, the day that marks Jesuss death. Generally, the only people excused from that obligation are pregnant or nursing women, and those who are sick.

Exemptions from this particular church rule arent unheard of in U.S. Catholic dioceses. In the past, some bishops have offered these dispensations when a Lenten Friday coincides with St. Patricks Day celebrations .

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