Why Catholics abstain from meat on Good Friday
Fr. Anthony Macharia raises a thurible, blessing the palm twigs with incense as a sign of prayers rising to heaven, before leading a Palm Sunday procession through Nyeri town to our Lady of Consolata Catholic Cathedral on April 13, 2025.
Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, is the Friday before Easter Sunday on the Christian calendar. On this solemn day, Christians around the world commemorate the suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Being a pivotal moment in Christian theology, many countries with strong Christian traditions recognise Good Friday as a legal holiday. But while many Kenyans enjoy a day off, and some Pentecostal churches have no structured and liturgical traditions, devout Catholics mark it with devotion, prayer, fasting—and forgoing meat.
For the Catholic Church, Good Friday is not just a single event. It comes at the end of a six-week spiritual journey of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving known as Lent.
“Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, when Christians receive ashes in the shape of a cross on their foreheads,” explains Peter Njoroge, a catechist at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Kiserian Parish.
“The ash symbolises dying and resurrecting with Christ. It’s a sign of repentance rooted in early church tradition, where people would cover themselves in ashes to express sorrow for sin.”
The ashes used are made by burning the blessed palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday.
Faithful take part in a Palm Sunday procession through Nyeri town to Our Lady of Consolata Catholic Cathedral on April 13, 2025.
On Good Friday, the Catholic faithful fast and abstain from meat. The day’s observance begins with the Way of the Cross, a symbolic procession that retraces the steps of Jesus’ suffering.
“We begin the procession from a designated point at around noon,” says Mr Njoroge.
“Along the route, we mark 14 Stations of the Cross—each symbolising a moment in Christ’s Passion. For example, in the first station, Jesus is condemned to death by Pilate. At each station, we stop, reflect, and say special prayers. We usually arrive at the church between 2pm and 3pm, take a short break, then begin the Veneration of the Cross service.”
Good Friday is the only day in the Catholic liturgical calendar when Mass is not celebrated.
“That’s because Jesus celebrated Mass himself on Holy Thursday,” says Mr Njoroge. “He said, ‘This is my body, this is my blood,’ then offered himself as the ultimate sacrifice on Good Friday. That sacrifice is considered sufficient—no other Mass is needed.”
So, Why No Meat?
According to Catholic teaching, Jesus Christ is the sacrificial “Lamb of God.” On Good Friday, his death is seen as the ultimate offering—hence, Catholics abstain from eating meat, which traditionally symbolises festivity, celebration, or sacrifice.
“We believe only one Lamb is sacrificed on Good Friday, and that is Christ,” says Mr Njoroge.
Fr. Alderman Mtui of Apostles of Jesus Church adds that the tradition is also tied to symbolism.
“Meat is considered precious in many cultures. Abstaining from it is a form of penance and self-denial,” he explains.
“The Catholic Church is full of signs meant to help people deepen their faith. Avoiding meat is a small sacrifice meant to mirror the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.”
The practice of abstaining from meat applies not just on Good Friday but also on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays during Lent. For some devout Catholics, the practice extends to every Friday of the year.
Nyeri Catholic Archbishop Anthony Muheria applies ashes on a worshiper’s forehead at Our Lady of Consolata Catholic Cathedral, Nyeri, on March 5, 2025, during the Ash Wednesday service.
“If someone eats meat on Good Friday, it’s considered a sin of disobedience to the Church,” says Mr Mtui. “It’s not a biblical commandment but a church one—still, it weighs heavily on the conscience and is a matter to take to confession. If you break it, nobody will cane you, but your conscience will be guilty and it’s now upon you to punish yourself.”
While many think fasting means going without meals, Catholics are encouraged to go deeper. According to Mr Mtui, fasting can also mean giving up anything that takes priority over faith.
“You can fast from social media, entertainment, gossip, even your car,” he says. “If you realise you spend Sh1,000 on fuel daily, you can choose to take public transport and donate that money instead.”
“It’s not enough to just give something up,” he adds. “You’re encouraged to give what you sacrifice to someone in need—that’s true fasting.”
Despite modern trends and the liberalisation in other churches, both Mr Njoroge and Mr Mtui agree that many Catholics still observe Good Friday rituals.
“It’s ingrained in us,” says Mr Mtui. “Just as people sacrifice time for their careers, Catholics sacrifice comfort for Christ. That’s what faith is—choosing God over convenience.”