In statements to several news outlets, the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio, commented this week that it cannot grant a dispensation from the Good Friday requirement to abstain from meat for any Catholics who will attend the season opening baseball game of the Cleveland Guardians April 3.
WKYC 3News, an NBC affiliate, reported March 31 that it received a statement from the diocese regarding the home opener coinciding with Good Friday. The news outlet will be providing extensive coverage of the game against the Chicago Cubs.
The diocese underscored the gravity of Good Friday and how the faithful should prayerfully reflect on the death of Christ, noting the importance of observing the day with fasting and penance.
“There is no more poignant day of the year for Catholic Christians than Good Friday. It is a day when in a solemn and somber way, we remember the Lord’s death for the sake of our salvation,” the diocese said. “As it has been for centuries, Good Friday marks the day that Jesus Christ was crucified and died on the cross to atone for humanity’s sins.”
“It is a day of reflection, and traditionally, a day of fasting, prayer, and penance,” the diocese added. “Without the darkness of Good Friday, we would not have the joy of the resurrection on Easter Sunday.”
The diocese concluded by expressing goodwill toward the baseball team while clarifying that it cannot grant dispensation.
“While we wish the Cleveland Guardians a very successful home opener on Friday, April 3, we cannot grant a dispensation to the practice of abstaining from meat for Catholics attending the baseball game on this most holy Friday of Lent,” it said.
FOX8 reported that it received the same response from the diocese regarding what the coincidence means for those wanting a hot dog at the game.
According to 3News, this is neither the first time a local opener game fell on Good Friday, nor the first time the diocese has had to answer questions regarding a dispensation.
In 2022, the Cleveland home opener had to be rescheduled to the same day as Good Friday, which “generated questions” about whether a dispensation could be granted, the diocese said in a statement at the time.
“Acknowledging the fervor of fans and the long tradition of Cleveland baseball,” the diocese stated, “the fact remains that Good Friday, the observation and remembrance of the day Jesus Christ died for the sins of humankind, is one of the most holy and solemn days on the Church calendar.”