Several Facebook posts are claiming that Pope Francis has proposed a certain set of acts to replace the practice of fasting during Lent. This is false.
The pope did not urge Catholics to do “15 acts of charity” and 11 things to fast from instead of abstaining from meat on Fridays of Lent, or eating only one full meal a day.
Posted last March 4, a day before the Lenten season began on Ash Wednesday, the posts read:
“Instead of fasting from meat during Lent, Pope Francis proposes 15 simple acts of charity. Look at this beauty!
1. Say hello (always and everywhere)
2. Say *thank you* (even if you don’t “have to”).
3. Remind others how much you *love them.*
4. *Greeting with joy* those people you see every day.
5. Listening to the other’s *story*, without prejudice, *with love*.
6. Stopping to *help*. Being *attentive to those who need you.*
7. *Lifting someone’s spirits*.
8. *Celebrating* the *qualities* or *successes* of another.
9. *Select* what you don’t use and *give it* to someone who needs it.
10. *Help when needed* so that another can rest.
11. *Correct with love,* don’t keep quiet out of fear.
12. *Have nice details* with those who are *close to you.*
13. *Clean what I use at home.*
14. *Help others overcome obstacles*.
15. *Call your parents*, if you are fortunate enough to have them.
*Fast from hurtful words* and spread kind words
*Fast from discontent* and fill yourself with gratitude
*Fast from anger* and fill yourself with meekness and patience
*Fast from pessimism* and fill yourself with hope and optimism.
*Fast from worries* and fill yourself with trust in God.
*Fast from complaining* and fill yourself with the simple things in life.
*Fast from pressures* and fill yourself with prayer.
*Fast from sadness* and bitterness and fill your heart with joy.
*Fast from selfishness* and fill yourself with compassion for others.
*Fast from unforgiveness* and fill yourself with attitudes of reconciliation.
*Fast from words* and fill yourself with silence and listening to others.”
The pope has not come up with any alternative acts to fasting and abstinence during Lent. The Vatican City’s official website, which keeps a record of all the pope’s letters and messages, has no record of such a statement by Pope Francis since he became pontiff in 2013.
Cursory search revealed that the 15 acts of charity were originally authored by Luisa Restrepo and published in 2015 on religious websites Catholic-link and Religion en Libertad.
The acts of charity were written by the author as a reflection from the Pope’s Lenten message that year, but were not actually mentioned by Pope Francis himself.
“As we enter Lent and embrace Pope Francis’ words for this year, we wanted to compile a collection of simple acts of charity that we often overlook but which, in their simplicity, are concrete manifestations of God’s love,” the article read.
Meanwhile, the list of 11 fasts was actually published in 2009 on the website Catoliscopio.com, four years before Francis was elected pope.
Fasting is enshrined in the Code of Canon Law, the official compilation of ecclesiastical laws of the Roman Catholic Church. Canon 1251 reads:
“Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.”
Catholic media outlets Aci Prensa and EWTN, as well as fact-checking organization Univision Noticias have debunked the claim.
VERA Files has also fact-checked a statement about fasting that was falsely attributed to the pope last year.
Posted by at least six FB users and the page of Pampanga Rep. Anna York Bondoc, the posts received 5,410 reactions.
