When people talk about Bantayan Holy Week, they often believe eating meat on Good Friday is allowed. That belief isn’t random—it actually had some basis. But here’s the thing: the exemption expired 182 years ago!
Back in February 2009, I was working on the book Balaanong Bahandi: Sacred Treasures of the Archdiocese of Cebu. I photographed this document that applied the exemption with specific instructions for the years 1842 and 1843.
Note: I used chatGPT to read the original text in the photo and pasted the result. The English translation follows.
Bienio de 1842 y 1843
Dos reales de plata acuñada y común.
Subsidio de Cuarta Clase del Indulto.Por carta Ntro. Stmo. Padre León XII, de feliz recordación, por su Breve dado en Roma á veinte y siete de Julio de mil ochocientos veinte y cuatro, concedió exclusivamente al Comisario general de Cruzada, se digne prorrogar por otros diez años el Indulto, para que todos los fieles de ambos sexos, y de uno y otro estado, seglares y eclesiásticos, residentes en estos Reynos e Islas, puedan con motivo de Cuaresma, comer carnes todos los días de la semana, con sólo la abstinencia del día viernes, con excepción de las que abajo se expresarán; pero declarándolo por no comprendidos en este privilegio los Regulares que por voto u otro precepto no se hallaren encargados.
En mil ochocientos treinta y ocho, y habiéndolo signado igualmente el Santo Padre Gregorio XVI, que actualmente gobierna la Iglesia, prorrogándolo en diferentes épocas por otros cuantos años, que fenecieron en estos Dominios en mil ochocientos cuarenta y tres. Por tanto á vos Cortacho José que habéis contribuído con la limosna de dos reales de plata acuñada y común, que hemos regulado en virtud de la Antigüedad…
[Lower Part – Partial Due to Damage]
…que os faculta comer carnes en todos los días de Cuaresma y demás abstinencias del Indulto en mil ochocientos cuarenta y dos, y mil ochocientos cuarenta y tres, exceptuados el Miércoles de Ceniza, los Viernes, Miércoles, Jueves y Sábado de la Semana Santa…
Here’s the translation:
Two-Year Period of 1842 and 1843
Two reales of coined and common silver
Fourth-Class Subsidy of the IndultBy the decree of our Most Holy Father, Pope Leo XII, of blessed memory, through his brief issued in Rome on the 27th of July, 1824, he granted exclusively to the General Commissioner of the Crusade the authority to extend the Indult for another ten years. This Indult allowed all the faithful—both men and women, from all walks of life, both lay and clerical—residing in these Kingdoms and Islands, to eat meat on all days of the week during Lent, requiring abstinence only on Fridays, with some exceptions listed below. However, this privilege did not apply to those bound by religious vows or other precepts.
In the year 1838, this Indult was again ratified by our current Holy Father, Pope Gregory XVI, who extended it at various times for additional years, the last of which expired in these Dominions in 1843.
Therefore, to you, Cortacho José, who have contributed the offering of two reales of coined and common silver, as regulated by long-standing tradition…
[Damaged Section – Reconstructed]
…you are hereby granted permission to eat meat on all days of Lent and during the periods of abstinence allowed by the Indult, for the years 1842 and 1843, excluding Ash Wednesday, the Fridays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays of Holy Week…
Back in 1829, Pope Leo XII gave Bantayan a special 10-year indult. It let locals eat meat, dairy, and eggs during Lent. Priests still had to follow the fasting rules, though. Then in 1831, Pope Gregory XVI extended the indult until 1843. But he made sure Ash Wednesday and Holy Week (Thursday to Saturday) stayed as days of abstinence in 1842 and 1843.
So, why do many people still have these belief that a Bantayan Holy Week is good excuse to eat meat? Tradition. The Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol Bantayan Facebook page has explained this well in a Facebook post.