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CHAPTER XVI
THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION
“Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up:
and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
James 5:14-15
THE LAST ANOINTING:[1]
Death is the most important time in life! At the instant of death, the fate of the soul is fixed for all eternity! The time immediately preceding death, then, is of critical importance.
Satan desperately tries to keep Catholic Priests from visiting and saving souls in mortal sin and is usually successful. Many refuse to see a Priest out of pride, fear, anger, apathy, or ignorance. Sometimes those closest to the dying person, refuse to let the Priest in, because they think their “loved one” would not want to see him, based on how he lived during life. Can you imagine the frightening death of a fallen away Catholic, who desperately wants and needs a Catholic Priest, and hears the Priest is outside his door asking to get in and his non-Catholic family telling the Priest to go away because “Oh they left the Catholic Church years ago”! Can you imagine the horrible death they will have? Knowing they are in mortal sin. Knowing their contrition is imperfect. Knowing that without a Priest, they will go to Hell for all eternity, in possibly in a few minutes! They hear the Priest outside just in time. They hear his family refuse to let the Priest in! Instead they may let a non-Catholic minister in, who is useless at this time, because he is not a Catholic Priest, and has not the Power to administer the Sacraments of Confession or Extreme Unction. Most people die the way they lived.
Satan has a harder time keeping Priests from dying Catholics. Instead he tries to get them to commit a sin during the last moments of life. He may tempt them with sins of despair, or anger, or with whatever has worked in the past. The Sacrament of Extreme Unction strengthens the Catholic soul and sometimes even the body during this critical time. The Catholic then will have a peaceful death and may even look forward to an eternity in Heaven that may begin in a few minutes! Most people die the way they lived.
Sometime a Catholic Priest is there for a deathbed conversion, perhaps an answer to prayers of Catholic friends or a reward for a good heart and life. Who know the reason? God knows. Most people die the way they lived - but not all - a few are saved at the last minute!
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THE ESSENCE OF EXTREME UNCTION:
Reference No. 105:
“Extreme Unction is a Sacrament of the New Law through which, by means of anointing with blessed oil and the prayer of the priest, health is conferred on the soul and sometimes on the body of one of the faithful who is both seriously ill and capable of grave sin.
The remote Matter is olive oil specially blessed either by a bishop, or by a priest having special faculties from the Holy See. This oil is required for valid administration of the sacrament. The proximate Matter consists in the use or application of the remote Matter. In this Sacrament the proximate matter is the anointing of the sick with blessed oil on the various senses and parts of the body.
The Form is the words used while anointing: ‘By this sacred anointing and his most tender mercy, may the Lord forgive you whatever sins you have committed by sight (hearing, smell, taste, speech, touch, walking). Amen’ “
“Extreme Unction should not be delayed until there is extreme danger of death. It should be administered as soon as possible in a dangerous illness and while the recipient is in possession of his senses. It is no charity to defer extreme unction until the subject can no longer consciously appreciate the comfort of the sacrament, thereby depriving in him of the opportunity to receive its full spiritual efficacy.
Since it is not certain when the soul departs from the body, extreme unction may be administered conditionally for at least one half hour after apparent death, and longer in come cases.”
“This sacrament cannot be repeated during the same illness, unless the sick person has recovered after he was anointed, and again fallen into danger of death. If a patient survives for a month, it is generally held that this period represents the cessation of the previous danger, and the sacrament may be repeated.”
THE EFFECTS OF EXTREME UNCTION:
1. An increase in Sanctifying Grace and thus to cure the soul of the weakness that is the result of original or actual sins which have already been forgiven. Hence the sacrament should always be preceded by confession (or if this is impossible, by an act of perfect contrition).
2. Special Sacramental Grace which strengthens the soul against all evils, past present and future and which remits venial sins and destroys the remnants of past sin.
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3. Restoration of bodily health if expedient for salvation.
4. Remission of mortal sin in those who have imperfect contrition, and did not have the opportunity for Confession or perfect contrition.
THE RECIPIENTS OF EXTREME UNCTION:
Any one of the faithful who is in danger of death from sickness or old age after attaining the use of reason can receive this sacrament. When there is doubt about any of these conditions, the sacrament may be administered conditionally.
Extreme Unction is not administered to:
1. The unbaptized.
2. Infants and those who never reached the use of reason.
3. Those in danger of death from some cause other than sickness (e.g. soldiers before battle, criminals before execution, passengers in danger of shipwreck).
4. Those who remain willfully impenitent in mortal sin.
OBJECTIONS TO THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION:
The tragedy of those outside the Catholic Faith is that they reject the Sacramental System, established by Christ as the main conduits through which He gives us the “free Gift of Faith”. Their rejection, includes of course the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. This is amazing, because they claim to use the Bible as their guide and the Bible clearly shows the importance of this Sacrament. Then why do they reject it? They reject it because of their false idea that they are “saved by Faith alone”. For a detailed discussion of this spiritually fatal error see Chapter V.
1. “Where is Extreme Unction found in the Bible?”
CATHOLIC RESPONSE:
(1) James 5:14-15 “Is any man sick among you? ...” see quote at the start of this Chapter.
(2) Mark 6:12-13 “And going forth they preached that men should do penance: and they cast out many devils and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.”
2. Are there examples from the early Church for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
CATHOLIC RESPONSE:[2]
(1) Pope Innocent I (416 A.D.) wrote to the Bishop of Gubbio about this Sacrament.
(2) Origen (third century) teaches about this sacrament and uses the Biblical references above.
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(3) St. Chrysostom (forth century) teaches about this sacrament and uses the Biblical references.
(4) Pope Innocent I (fifth century) in letter to Bishop Decentius, after quoting the words of St. James adds: “These words, there is no doubt, ought to be understood of the faithful who are sick, who can be anointed with the holy oil, which having been prepared by a Bishop, may be used not only for Priests, but for all Christians.”
(5) The Sacramentary, or ancient Roman Ritual revised by Pope St. Gregory (sixth century) refers to this sacrament.
(6) The venerable Bede of England (eighth century) referring to the words of St. James, writes: “The custom of the Church requires that the sick be anointed by the Priests with consecrated oil and be sanctified by the prayer which accompanies it.”
(7) The Greek Church which separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the ninth century teaches about the sacrament of Extreme Unction.
(8) In its instruction on the sacraments, the Council of Florence, 1438-45, enumerated Extreme Unction among them, and gave specific information about its Matter, Form and Administration.
(9) At the Council of Trent (1545) spoke in detail about the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
It is very sad that non-Catholics reject this Great Sacrament. They reject this spiritual medicine which so diminishes the terrors of death, comforts the dying Christian, fortifies the soul in its final struggle, and purifies it for its passage from time to eternity.
DO NOT “SQUANDER ILLNESS”:
Our loving God sends us what we need. Sometimes He sends us Crosses! He asks us to “take up your cross and follow Me!” A long painful death therefore, can be a blessing, because it gives us time to prepare. For those in the State of Grace (no Mortal Sin) pains and sufferings can be offered up as partial atonement for past sins and thereby reduce time in Purgatory. For those in Mortal Sin, a slow death gives us time and the inclination to examine our conscience and make a good Confession. A slow death gives the Catholic Priest time to come to us and administer the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. Do not therefore fear a slow painful death, because it may be a great Blessing, if it is offered up to God. On the other hand a quick unprepared death is a curse for those still in Mortal Sin! God sends us what we need. Sometimes He sends us a slow painful death! If He does, do not squander it but offer it up and thank God for the opportunity! Pity the poor soul in Mortal Sin who is offered a slow painful death and not only refuses this last warning to repent his past sins but also on his death bed, commits additional sins of anger or despair!
[1]. “Christ and His Sacraments” Donlan - Cunningham - Rock (a College Text in Theology 1958)
[2]. Referenced taken from both “Christ and His Sacraments” Donlan - Cunningham - Rock and “The Faith of Our Fathers” by James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore 1876.
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QUESTIONS
Apologetics Chapter XVI - The Sacrament of Extreme Unction
(10 points each)
1. Write your name so I can read it.
2. Why is the time immediately preceding death of critical importance?
3. Satan tries to keep dying souls from the Sacrament of Extreme Unction by: (Circle all that apply)
a. Making them think they are already “saved” and don’t need a Catholic Priest.
b. Filling them with too much pride to seek out a Catholic Priest.
c. Filling them with despair and a feeling that all is hopeless.
d. Filling them with anger that their life will soon be over.
e. Keeping them in ignorance of their need for a Catholic Priest.
f. Tempting their “loved ones” to keep the Catholic Priest away.
4. What are some of the possible reasons that God might grant a death bed Conversion?
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5. What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
6. What is the Matter used in the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
7. Has the sick or dying person received the Sacrament of Extreme Unction if the Priest does not anoint them with the Holy Oil? Give reasons for your answer.
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8. What is the Form for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
9. Where is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction found in the Bible?
10. Why do non-Catholics reject the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?
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