Pope owning fish company: that's why you can eat fish on Fridays?

fish90 · #1 Apr 21, '11, 9:43 pm

I heard this line again today. Is there any slight bit of truth to it?

I explained that when I hear stuff like this I think of anti-Catholic propaganda. I then explained that in the Summa Theologica meat was avoided, since the meat was thought to stir certain reactions in people, and that there is a real scientific connection (Zinc) that has been found today.

DavidFilmer · #2 Apr 21, '11, 10:06 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by fish90

I heard this line again today. Is there any slight bit of truth to it?

No, this (and many similar stories) are a silly myth.

The language of the Church is Latin. We are prohibited from eating "carne" on Friday. In Latin, "carne" means "meat" as from a land-dwelling animal. "Carne" would not include fish.

Even in English, we do not normally describe fish (shrimp, clams, etc) as "meat" (we have the special term, "seafood"). But, in Latin, we never would describe them as "carne."

valentino · #3 Apr 22, '11, 12:02 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by fish90

I heard this line again today. Is there any slight bit of truth to it?

I explained that when I hear stuff like this I think of anti-Catholic propaganda. I then explained that in the Summa Theologica meat was avoided, since the meat was thought to stir certain reactions in people, and that there is a real scientific connection (Zinc) that has been found today.

i know you are young so i excuse you for asking such a question.But no the Pope doesn't own a fish store or any other business.

DianaCC · #4 Apr 22, '11, 12:22 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by fish90

...Pope owning fish company...

I can top that. I heard the pope added an extra five mysteries to the rosary (the Luminous Mysteries) to increase the number from 15 to 20 so everybody would have buy new rosaries.

Anyway, back in the olden days, Europeans typically ate fish as an every day thing and meat was a special-occasion dish; forbidding meat on Fridays was just a way of reminding people it was inappropriate to have celebrations on that day.

Ironically seafood is now the special-occasion food while meat is the routine. If the rule had been instituted today, maybe it would be no seafood on Fridays.

DavidFilmer · #5 Apr 22, '11, 12:35 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by DianaCC

Anyway, back in the olden days, Europeans typically ate fish as an every day thing and meat was a special-occasion dish; forbidding meat on Fridays was just a way of reminding people it was inappropriate to have celebrations on that day.

This is also true. Most forest lands were owned by the King, and hunting on the King's land (and taking the King's meat) was forbidden. But the sea was not considered to be owned by anybody, so anybody could drop a hook or a net into the sea and freely eat of whatever benefits his labor had provided. So, our European ancestors (at least, those who dwelt near the coast) probably ate more fish than their descendants do today.

eagle_eye222001 · #6 Apr 22, '11, 12:41 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by fish90

I heard this line again today.

Anytime someone claims something against the Church, demand to see proof.

ConstantineTG · #7 Apr 22, '11, 12:46 am

From what I recall, Peter did own his own boat. So yes, the Pope did own a fish company. And his brother is the COO (St. Andrew). He had fierce competitors in the market (James and John) but eventually they had a merger with Peter as the CEO even though John was beloved by the son of the Director of the Board.

regression · #8 Apr 22, '11, 5:09 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConstantineTG

From what I recall, Peter did own his own boat. So yes, the Pope did own a fish company. And his brother is the COO (St. Andrew). He had fierce competitors in the market (James and John) but eventually they had a merger with Peter as the CEO even though John was beloved by the son of the Director of the Board.

Thank you for my morning laugh. That should be the standard response to the claim's the OP heard...

pollycarp · #9 Apr 22, '11, 5:19 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConstantineTG

From what I recall, Peter did own his own boat. So yes, the Pope did own a fish company. And his brother is the COO (St. Andrew). He had fierce competitors in the market (James and John) but eventually they had a merger with Peter as the CEO even though John was beloved by the son of the Director of the Board.

LongJohnSilver · #10 Apr 22, '11, 5:34 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConstantineTG

From what I recall, Peter did own his own boat. So yes, the Pope did own a fish company. And his brother is the COO (St. Andrew). He had fierce competitors in the market (James and John) but eventually they had a merger with Peter as the CEO even though John was beloved by the son of the Director of the Board.

Nita · #11 Apr 22, '11, 8:12 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConstantineTG

From what I recall, Peter did own his own boat. So yes, the Pope did own a fish company. And his brother is the COO (St. Andrew). He had fierce competitors in the market (James and John) but eventually they had a merger with Peter as the CEO even though John was beloved by the son of the Director of the Board.

Love it!

DianaCC · #12 Apr 22, '11, 8:24 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConstantineTG

From what I recall, Peter did own his own boat. So yes, the Pope did own a fish company. And his brother is the COO (St. Andrew). He had fierce competitors in the market (James and John) but eventually they had a merger with Peter as the CEO even though John was beloved by the son of the Director of the Board.

Quite right. However after a three-year suspension of operations for professional development, upper management made a strategic redirection of the company into human resources consulting. They eventually went public with an IPO that was out of this world. Now they have offices worldwide, a customer base hovering around 1.6 billion, and assets that defy assessment.

It's quite a success story. You can get the first-hand account of the company's early years written by the original team members and their early collaborators in hardcover, paperback, or Kindle, online or at most major book retailers.

Mintaka · #13 Apr 22, '11, 10:55 am

Heh... The pope did point out in one of his books that one of the meanings of "koinonia", communion, is "a shared-ownership business enterprise".

Juliebug108 · #14 Apr 22, '11, 11:44 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ConstantineTG

From what I recall, Peter did own his own boat. So yes, the Pope did own a fish company. And his brother is the COO (St. Andrew). He had fierce competitors in the market (James and John) but eventually they had a merger with Peter as the CEO even though John was beloved by the son of the Director of the Board.

LOL! I love this response!

if youCthispray · #15 Apr 22, '11, 11:47 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by fish90

I heard this line again today. Is there any slight bit of truth to it?

I explained that when I hear stuff like this I think of anti-Catholic propaganda. I then explained that in the Summa Theologica meat was avoided, since the meat was thought to stir certain reactions in people, and that there is a real scientific connection (Zinc) that has been found today.

Yup every pope in history has had ownership of the largest fishing company in the world.