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Catholic Definitions Abbess Abbey Abbot Accident Absolute Actual Grace Adoration Amen Angel Anointing Apologetics Apostasy Apostolic Apostolic Constitution Apostolic Exhortation Apostolic Letter Art Assent Authority Avarice Baptism Benign Bible Bishop Brotherly Love Bull Calumny Canon Law Capital Sins Capital Virtues Cardinal Virtues Catechesis Catholic Charity Chastity Chrism Christ’s Commands Church Cloister Codex Communio Compassion Completion Story Concomitance Concupiscence Confession Confirmation Consecration Conscience Conservatism Continence Convent Corporal Works of Mercy Counsel Custody of the Senses Deacon Deaconess Death Detraction Dicastery Diligence Divine Office Doctrine Dogma Double Effect Dulia Economy of Salvation Ecumenical Ecumenical Council Encyclical Epistle Encyclica Letter Envy Eternity Eucharist Evangelization Ex Cathedra Ex Opere Operantis Ex Opere Operato Faith Fear Fideism Form Fortitude Four Last Things Friar Friday Abstinence Fruits of the Holy Spirit Gifts of the Holy Spirit Gluttony Good Grace Heaven Hell Holy Heresy Holy Eucharist Holy Orders Hope Humility Hyperdulia Hypostatic Union Immortal Impassible Indulgence Infallible Intellectual Virtues Intrinsic Joy Judgment Justice Justification Knowledge Latria Letter Liberality Limbo Liturgy Longanimity Lust Magisterium Man Marriage Matrimony Matter Meek Mercy Message Mild Miracle Modernism Modesty Monastery Monk Mortal Sin Motu Proprio Nun Obedience One Orders Original Sin Pallium Parable Pasch Patience Pauline Privilege Peace Penance Piety Pope Prayer Precept Preternatural Pride Priest Prophet Prudence Purgatory Purity Rationalism Religious Reparation Revelation Rule Sacrament Sacramental Presence Sacred Tradition Sacrifice Saint Sanctifying Grace Science Scrupulosity Sin Sister Sloth Soul Spirit Spiritual Direction Spiritual Works of Mercy Substance Supernatural Synoptic Telepathy Temperance Theological Virtues Theology Transubstantiation Trinity Triumphalist Truly, truly Ultramontane Understanding Vatican II Vademecum Vanity Veneration Venial Sin Victim Virtues Wisdom Words of Institution Worship Wrath
The sacrament by which Christ gives spiritual aid and strength to the sick and dying.
Before Vatican II, this sacrament was called Extreme Unction because it was administered almost at the point of death. The family at a dying Catholic’s bedside would wait until they thought death was only hours or minutes away, and then would call in a priest. The priest’s arrival often frightened the dying Catholic, because he seemed the harbinger of death.
Today we call it the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and Dying. If it were called merely the sacrament of anointing, it might be confused with Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, which also have a rite of anointing.
The priest administers it whenever there is proximate danger of death. Catholics who believe they may be within weeks of death, Catholics preparing for surgery that requires full anesthesia, or Catholics preparing for particularly hazardous activity should seek this sacrament. At many nursing homes, where sudden death is an ever-present possibility, a priest will anoint all of the elderly Catholics every few months. This sacrament can be received more than once, and should be received any time a Catholic believes he is at serious risk of death.
The priest anoints the person on the forehead and hands, using olive oil blessed by a bishop, while praying, “Through this holy anointing and His most loving mercy, may the Lord assist you by the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that, freed from your sins, He may save you and in His goodness raise you up.”
The matter of this sacrament is olive oil blessed by a bishop, or in emergency any vegetable oil.
The form of this sacrament is the priest’s prayer, above.
Anointing of the Sick and Dying is normally considered a sacrament of the living, since it should be received in the state of grace.
When death is imminent and there is no opportunity to hear the person’s Confession, it may also serve as a sacrament of the dead.
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and Dying is one of the two sacraments of healing. The other is the Sacrament of Penance.
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Catechism of the Catholic Church #1499-1532
New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
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