Lent Loophole

Here I am, trying to be good this Lent and avoid what I gave up for 40 days -- dessert -- and now Cardinal Mahoney is off letting people eat meat this Friday because of St. Patrick's Day! Notes the L.A. Times:

Local Catholics received a cardinal's blessing to break an ancient rule and eat meat today because of a rare convergence of observances: a Lenten Friday and St. Patrick's Day, which is typically celebrated with corned beef.

But Cardinal Roger M. Mahony had another reason for issuing a dispensation from an edict making the Fridays of Lent days of fast and abstinence.

St. Patrick, who is credited with spreading Christianity in Ireland about 1,500 years ago, is the patron saint of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

"The cardinal is taking into account a popular celebration that most Catholics will celebrate in one way or an another," said Tod Tamberg, spokesman for the archdiocese.

That's fine... but then, maybe I should request a dispensation today to partake in a McDonald's Shamrock Shake!