Jennifer Jacquet of the Sea Around Us Project just published a solid and timely essay with Science & Spirit magazine. The piece begins by asking:
If Jesus can turn two fish into enough to feed five thousand people, now would be a good time to intervene. According to researchers, each American ate nearly a half-pound more seafood last year than the year before. As we reach the end of the Christian season of Lent — the period in which seafood consumption is at its highest — scientists predict that, if the trend continues, wild marine fisheries will disappear in the next forty years.
At issue is whether fish is meat (which, of course, it is). But in the 11th century, the Catholic Church “banned meat but sanctioned fish as a show of penance on Fridays and during the 40 days before Easter. When other observances with similar restrictions were added to the equation, the prohibition meant more than one hundred fish-only days per year" for Catholics.
If the Pope is a Gristmill reader, then here’s a call to action on your recent pledge to protect creation!
