Fish on Fridays ... once again in the UK

As of September 16th, Catholics in England and Wales are once again required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays as an act of penance, reviving a centuries-old tradition (BBC, 9-15-2011).

An excellent article anticipating and analyzing this development can be found under the title of "Law and Tradition" (Unam Sanctam Catholicam, September 2, 1011):

... This is a very welcome development from a region of the Church that is known for its wackiness and extremely progressive tendencies. We should all applaud this move by the British bishops as a step in the right direction and pray that such measures would be contemplated and enacted by their American counterparts.

What's the last time you worried about neglecting your Friday Penance -- you know, the one which, since Vatican II, you're supposed to be maturely imposing on yourself on Fridays in lieu of abstaining from fish. What's the last time you've confessed that negligence to a priest? What's the last time you heard a confessor treat it as a real sin during confession?

[Hat tip to J.M.]