Exceptions
These strict fasting rules are usually relaxed by priests on an individual basis to accommodate for illness or weakness. Abstinence from sexual intercourse is also encouraged but not mandatory, and largely depends on the decision of each couple. The Coptic Orthodox fasting periods are designed to foster spiritual development and focus on liturgical practices.
Fasting is not generally viewed as a hardship, but rather a privilege and joy in preparing for the coming “Feast Day”.
Read more about this topic: Fasting And Abstinence Of The Coptic Orthodox Church Of Alexandria
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“For true poetry, complete poetry, consists in the harmony of contraries. Hence, it is time to say aloud—and it is here above all that exceptions prove the rule—that everything that exists in nature exists in art.”
—Victor Hugo (1802–1885)