Friday, March 12, 2004

Opening day at Fenway Park this year falls on a Friday during Lent, to the chagrin of many baseball-loving Boston Catholics. Catholics attending the game have asked for special dispensation from the Archdiocese to eat meat in the form of Fenway Franks, but they have been turned down. In past years the previous Cardinal, Cardinal Law, gave permission for Catholics to eat meat when St. Patrick's Day has fallen on a Friday.

Cardinal O'Malley is new to town, but he should know that Catholicism is Boston's second largest religion only following Baseball. Standard Deviance believes it is a SIN to go to Fenway Park on opening day and not eat a Fenway Frank. It is true, Cardinal Law did not have an illustrious career in the Boston Archdiocese, but at least he understood that there are two things more important in Boston than Lent: Opening Day and St. Patrick's Day. What next, will O'Malley say it is a mortal sin to run guns for the IRA? If he keeps this up he might face the wrath of a Kennedy.

Church Nixes Good Friday Fenway Hot Dogs [AP]
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston