Catholics get a pass for St. Patrick's Day

MILWAUKEE — Michael O'Leary doesn't need to choose between sinning and nibbling this St. Patrick's Day.

O'Leary, director of Milwaukee's St. Patrick's Day parade, will enjoy his corned beef Friday with a clear conscience, thanks to a special dispensation from another Irish American, Archbishop Timothy Dolan of Milwaukee.

Dolan is among dozens of American bishops granting one-day dispensations from Lenten rules that prohibit Roman Catholics from eating meat on Fridays to observe the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. In many cases, the bishops are asking for a similar day of penance in exchange for relaxing the rules on Friday.

The connection between Ireland and corned beef dates to colonial times in Boston, when meat was imported from Ireland and preserved in salt, said Kevin O'Neill, history professor in the Irish Studies program at Boston College. The result — corned beef — was associated with Ireland.

While eating meat on a Friday in Lent isn't considered a mortal sin — the gravest category — it does take a dispensation for the church to lift the rule. At least 67 of the country's nearly 200 dioceses provide such dispensations, said Rocco Palmo, a Catholic commentator who has been keeping an informal count on his blog "Whispers in the Loggia."

In exchange for his corned beef, O'Leary said he plans to give up something else, such as chicken wings or beer on a weekend when he's watching sports on television.

"I will deny myself something and pay it back," O'Leary said.