St Assisi

giuseppe - st. francis paoli founder of the order of minims instituted in the order the perpetual abstinence from meat and I also believe eggs and dairy products.  Exceptions were made if one were in poor health.  But, it appears that they concerning diet were what is today known as a vegan, or pretty close to it.  

 

None of the saints were "Vegans" or vegetarians.

Many saints willingly abstained from meat and some may have abstained from all animal products as a means of self-denial.

The terms "Vegan" and "vegetarian" caries a New Age connotation.  Furthermore, anyone who claims these titles chooses not to consume flesh meat for reasons other than for the glory of God.

Who were some Saints who abstained from meat and animal products as a means of self-denial?

matthew - I agree, veganism is not catholic.  I for many years now have abstained from meat, eggs, fish, and dairy.  But, I do not hold their doctrines, and in fact am somewhat ignorant of them.  I just associated the word with the diet.  But, it appears their is a definitive belief system attached.  However, I do not see how they are heretics.  All vegans are not baptized.  And, I understand that you have to be baptized in order to be a heretic.

No, a heretic is anyone who "chooses" rather than accepting the whole (Catholic) Faith.

The word heretic comes from the Greek word "to choose".

Belloc taught that Islam is more of a heresy than a different religion. Does Islam practice baptism at all?

There are certainly more heretics than there are false religions with a valid "baptism". So I don't think baptism enters into it at all.

Quote from: TKGS

None of the saints were "Vegans" or vegetarians.

Many saints willingly abstained from meat and some may have abstained from all animal products as a means of self-denial.

The terms "Vegan" and "vegetarian" caries a New Age connotation.  Furthermore, anyone who claims these titles chooses not to consume flesh meat for reasons other than for the glory of God.

TKGS gave the best answer.

Indeed, even a saint that never ate meat, dairy or meat by-products would still not be a "vegan".

"Vegan" especially carries new age and even religious connotations -- but not the Catholic religion!

People who are vegan (and some "vegetarians") abstain from meat for reasons OTHER THAN mortification, gaining merit for heaven, and the glory of God. They believe eating meat is wrong, eating meat is bad for you, eating meat is bad for the Earth our goddess-mother, and so forth.

So PLEASE don't call our saints "vegans"!

I leave you with the definition of Vegan, taken from Wikipedia:

Quote

Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, in diet and wherever else reasonably practiceable, based on the moral philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals.[9] A follower of the philosophy is known as a vegan (pronounced vee-g?n). Humans participating in the diet and/or other aspects of the lifestyle are known as "plant-based" (or 'following a vegan diet', etc.), as veganism itself is the moral baseline advocating against species-based exploitation; without the moral realization and agreement, one is not actually vegan.

The term vegan was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he co-founded the Vegan Society in England, at first to mean "non-dairy vegetarian" and later "the doctrine that man should live without exploiting animals".[10]

This is heretical, as Holy Scripture (which the Catholic Church holds to be infallible) clearly states that God gave us animals to be our meat -- to be "exploited" as "commodities", as the vegans call it.

So they are actually heretics.

Well, who are some Saints that you know of who abstained from meat?

You might find this thread of interest
http://www.cathinfo.com/catholic.php/monks

St John Baptist was no vegan, as he wore camel hair with a leather belt and ate locusts and wild honey.

Here is my Catholic point of view on fad diets --

God made animals to be our meat (he specifically gave them to us for meat AFTER the Flood, interestingly). And from these animals, we also get dairy products (milk, butter, cheese, eggs).
He also made fruits/vegetables/nuts/grains and men have been eating these things since ancient times.
He also made the bacteria that ferment sugars and produce alcohol. And good guys have been drinking wine (and other drinks) for millennia.
And sweets have existed too -- sugar cane, honey, and other substances (plants like Stevia?) to sweeten a dessert once in a while.

I think when it comes to eating, it's a classic case of "all things in moderation". But since the world is so messed up compared to the Ancient World, we also have to strive to be as natural as possible. For example, although sugar is natural, people didn't used to coat everything with it, or include it in every recipe (which processed food does today). Ditto for grains.

But vegetarianism? People always ate meat. Not at every meal, but they ate meat.
Atkins diet? People have always eaten "bread", have they not?
And so forth.