Why did the Pope classify the capybara as a fish?

Question

During the Christian celebration of Lent, capybara meat is especially popular as it is claimed that the Catholic church, in a special dispensation, classified the animal as a fish in the 16th century. There are differing accounts of how the dispensation arose.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara

Answer 1

The most cited [account] refers to a group of 16th Century missionaries who made a request which implied that the semi-aquatic capybara might be a "fish" and also hinted that there would be an issue with starvation if the animal wasn't classified as suitable for Lent.



Which shows just how stupidly ludicrous religion can get to be...

Answer 2

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RE:

Why did the Pope classify the capybara as a fish?

During the Christian celebration of Lent, capybara meat is especially popular as it is claimed that the Catholic church, in a special dispensation, classified the animal as a fish in the 16th century. There are differing accounts of how the dispensation...

Answer 3

All of these interesting stories that I have found so far do not note official documents or even the Pope's name. So until documented I shall refer to then as legend.



Legend has it that Church authorities declared species that were not fish but spent a lot of time in the water as fish including:

• Beavers

• Capybaras

• Muskrats

• Sea turtles

• Iguanas

• Sea birds



This practice was to enable people to eat more animals on Fridays and on any days during Lent.



Lent was typically at the end of winter when domesticated meat was running low and none of the non-fishy fishes were domesticated.



The needs of the people were more important than emerging scientific definitions.



With love in Christ.

Answer 4

Special dispensations are not bound by facts. When St. Pat's Day falls on a Friday, a few dioceses that have a significant Irish population will give a dispensation for corned beef.



Now, that doesn't mean beef comes from a fish. It means it is ok for a special reason, and for a specific area.



Anything claimed to the contrary is anti-Catholic bigotry.

Answer 5

The pope learned his zoology from the Bible, which also classifies bats as birds, whales as fish and says that insects have four legs.



I don't think that people would starve if they didn't eat meat on Fridays during Lent so it probably had more to do with local customs than necessities.

Answer 6

What? Isn't the Capybara a large tailless rat?I took a look at your link yeah, it is a rat. I have no idea what the Pope was thinking.

Answer 7

Because somebody felt that the capybara is a missing evolutionary link between fish and mammals.



But the Catholics randomly support evolution in the strangest of times.

Answer 8

>>Why did the Pope classify the capybara as a fish?<<



He didn't. He allowed it to be eaten, using his power to bind and loose.



“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)

Answer 9

Yes I'm sure there are differing accounts. And all just as silly.

Answer 10

Capybaras are coprophagous, meaning they eat their own feces...

Maybe it's cause they are both full of feces?