Can Orthodox Saints Eat Pork?

Orthodox saints eat pork

While the bible says that pork is unclean, many Orthodox saints still eat it on certain occasions. Ana has an interesting view on the fast during the Holy Week. She believes that overindulgence clouds the vision of the eternal and that fasting is a time to pray and contemplate. While Ana jokes that she is a “fanatic”, this stance is actually quite common among regular churchgoers.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Eritrean Orthodox Church, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church all forbid eating pork. The prohibition comes from a passage in the Old Testament based on Jewish kosher laws. Some of these churches are heavily influenced by Islamic tradition, which prohibits pork.

Orthodox saints eat pork during Lent

Orthodox Christians have traditionally abstained from pork and other unclean meats. Perhaps the most famous are the Seventh Day Adventists, but they are by no means alone in this practice. There is a wealth of literature examining the biblical teachings on unclean meat. One good book is What Does the Bible Teach About Unclean Meats?, written by a non-SDA church. But most answers to this question rely on rationalization to defend eating pork.

During the Great Lent, Christians fast for forty days without eating meat or poultry, but pork is allowed on two days, on the eve of Palm Sunday and on the Annunciation feast. Wine is forbidden on Sundays but allowed on Lazarus Saturday (the eve of Palm Sunday) and on Holy Thursday. However, fasting is not about “eating” loved ones – it’s about self-control and temperance.

The fasting during Easter is less strict than the fasting during Great Lent. The early part of the Easter fast is similar to that of the Apostles’ Fast, but there is no eating of fish on Saturday or Sunday. The last two weeks of Lent are the strictest, and the only exception is that wine and oil are permitted.

Coptic Orthodox

If you have ever wondered whether Coptic Orthodox saints can eat meat, the answer is no. The Orthodox Christian Patristic Tradition teaches that the consumption of meat is prohibited during the period of fasting. However, it is not clear why meat is excluded during this period. Possibly, the ban is related to the spiritual achievements of fasting, such as abstaining from passionate desires and pleasures. Additionally, consuming meat would undermine the practice of abstinence, which was an important part of the faith’s early development.

The Coptic Orthodox Church follows the apostolic traditions. This includes the decisions of the Councils of Ephesus, Nicea, and Constantinople. Saints Mark, Basil of Alexandria, and Gregory of Nazianzus wrote the original liturgies for the church.

Catholic

The Old Testament states that Catholic orthodox saints can eat pork, but the New Testament says otherwise. The New Testament focuses on Jesus’s teachings, and it overrides the Old Testament in this area. For example, in Mark 7:18-23, Jesus commands Peter to eat pork, despite the prohibition in the Old Testament.

According to the Bible, meat-abstinence will increase in the end times. Some religious traditions also prohibit pork and other “unclean” meats. These groups also reject the cleansing of Jesus’ blood. However, there is a growing trend toward meat-abstinence in the Orthodox Church.

Christians also believe in fasting. Both the Orthodox and Catholic churches follow the practice of fasting. On fasting days, pork is forbidden. This is not because of a specific attitude towards pork, but to maintain the purity of the fast. Both groups of believers believe that fasting is a spiritual discipline, so they abstain from meat during fasting days.

Jewish

It is not known if orthodox saints can eat pork. The practice of abstaining from meat dates back to the time of the Jewish faith, though most monastic orders allow some fish or pork once a week. The eating of pork is considered a delicacy in some Eastern Orthodox communities, and the meat has long been associated with the celebration of the festival of Tabernacles.

It is true that the traditional fast for Orthodox Christians is difficult to keep, and the temptations of legalism and pride can be powerful. However, fasting has great spiritual value. A return to more rigorous fasting may be one of the keys to the spiritual renewal of Orthodox communities.