[Sca-cooks] lent, wine, indulgences, de Nola

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

> When I was wrapping up the article I found myself wanting to finish with
> a smart-ass comment about "This meal goes great with crusty bread and a
> nice white wine - assuming you've bought an indulgence for the wine!"
> but I realised I knew too little about indulgences to say that with
> confidence.
>
> So my question is, could you buy indulgences to let you drink wine
> during Lent?  Was it even restricted, or am I thinking too modernly
> about alcohol?
>

According to the 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia
(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09152a.htm )
wine was apparently forbidden in 'early days' in Lent but it doesn't sound
as if that restriction continued for ordinary laypeople:

"None the less St. Gregory writing to St. Augustine of England laid down
the rule, "We abstain from flesh meat, and from all things that come from
flesh, as milk, cheese, and eggs." This decision was afterwards enshrined
in the "Corpus Juris", and must be regarded as the common law of the
Church."

-- Pani Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens
can change the world; indeed it's the only thing that ever has..."
-- Margaret Mead