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Show OBSERVANCE OBSERVANGE OF LENTThe LENT LENTThe The Lenten season , which is observed by the Roman and andGreek andGreek andGreek Greek Catholic Cail10lIc chinches chmches chuiches , as well as in some so'n1e son1e ' degiee deglee degree by the theOhurch theChurch theChurch Ohurch Church of England , the Protestant Episcopal chuich church In InAmerIca inAmerica inAmerica AmerIca and nd others , began on Ash Wednesday , Februaly Februaiy 26 26and , and will continue until Easter Sunday , Apiil Apul 12 , a period of offorty offorty offorty forty days , not counting countmg Sundays . In the early years of the Christian Chlistian era the fast of Lent Lentwas Lentwas Lentwas was obsel\ obsel obserc obsened obseled \ ed for varying periods penods , by some only , one or two twodays twodays twodays days and by others for a longer time , according to the writ wrIt- wrItings writings writings - ings of Irenaeus Irel1aeus , Greek Bishop of Lyons , in the second cen cen- centUl century century - tUl tury ' " . Pope Leo I , in 111 the fourth century , recommended the thefast thefast thefast fast of forty days as having havlI1g , apostolic authority . This perIOd perIOdVas periodwas periodwas \Vas Vas was \ taken to commemorate the forty days ' fast of Moses , of ofElijah ofElijah ofElijah Elijah , and especially that of Christ . Theoretically Theorebcally : , at least , the faithful abstain from food on onthe onthe onthe the fast days until evening , worldly amusements and secular secularcelebrations secularcelebrations secularcelebrations celebrations are to be aVOIdedand avoided and marriages are held to be beundesilable beundesirable beundesiiable undesilable undesirable during Lent Legit , . , The duty of fasting is modified with respect to laboring laboringpeople laboringpeople laboringpeople people , children , , and women under certain conditions , but in- in increased increased in increased - creased diligence dlligence in works of charity is enjoined upon all , aswell aswell as aswell well as extraordinary extraordmary attention to all religious reIigious observances observancesthroughout , throughout this period , . , |