CHAPTER VI

OF THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION

QUESTION I

Why Pastors of Souls should frequently treat of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction with the People

In all thy works, say the oracles of holy Scripture, remember thy last end, and thou shall never sin; words which convey to pastors a tacit admonition, to omit no opportunity of exhorting the faithful to constant meditation on death. But, whereas, the sacrament of extreme unction is inseparably associated with the recollection of that last day, it should, it is obvious, form a subject of frequent instruction, not only inasmuch as it eminently becomes the pastor to unfold and explain the mysteries appertaining unto salvation, but also because the faithful, frequently reflecting that death is the inevitable doom of all men, will repress depraved lusts. Thus will they be less appalled while awaiting the stroke of death, and will return eternal thanks to God, who has not only opened to us the way unto true life in the sacrament of baptism, but has also instituted that of extreme unction, to afford us, when departing from this mortal life, a readier access to heaven.

QUESTION II

Why this Sacrament is called Extreme Unction

In order, therefore, that the things more necessary to this explanation should be expounded in nearly the same order observed in the [exposition of the] other sacraments, it is first to be shown that this sacrament is called Extreme Unction, because, of all the other sacred unctions prescribed by our Lord and Saviour to his Church, this is the last to be administered. Hence it was called by our ancestors, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick, and, the sacrament of departing persons, appellations which easily lead the minds of the faithful to the remembrance of that last hour.

QUESTION III

In what manner Extreme Unction is proved to possess the True Nature of a Sacrament

That extreme unction possesses the true nature of a sacrament, is first to be explained; and this can be clearly established, if we attend to the words in which the apostle St. James has promulgated the law of this sacrament: Is any one, says he, sick amongst you? Let him call for the elders 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, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be in sins, they shall be remitted unto him. For when the apostle says: If he be in sins, they shall be remitted unto him, he thereby ascribes [to extreme unction] the nature and efficacy of a sacrament. And that such has been at all times the doctrine of the Catholic Church with regard to extreme unction, several councils testify, and the Council of Trent denounces anathema against all who presume to teach or think otherwise. Innocent I. also recommends this sacrament with great earnestness to the faithful.

QUESTION IV

Since there are many Unctions, should we also say that there are many Sacraments

Pastors, therefore, will teach constantly that extreme unction is a true sacrament, and that, although administered with many unctions, performed each with proper prayers, and with the application of a peculiar form, it constitutes but one [sacrament]; one, however, not by the inseparable continuity of its parts, but, like all other objects which are composed of many things, by the perfection [of the whole]. For as an edifice, which consists of several things, derives its perfection from one plan, so is this sacrament, although composed of several things and words, but one sign, and it possesses the efficacy of one thing, of which it is the sign. The pastor will also teach what are the parts of this sacrament, that is, the element and word; for these St. James does not omit; and in each may be observed its own mysteries.

QUESTION V

Of the Matter of Extreme Unction

Its element, then, or matter, as has been defined by councils, particularly by the Council of Trent, is oil consecrated by the bishop, that is to say, oil of olive-berries, and not that expressed from any rich or fatty matter. This its matter is most significant of its efficacy; for as oil is very efficacious in mitigating bodily pains, so by the virtue of this sacrament is the sadness and anguish of the soul alleviated. Oil also contributes to restore health and hilarity, affords, as it were, food to light, and refreshes bodily fatigue; and all these effects are expressive of those produced, through the divine power, on the sick, by the administration of this sacrament. Touching the matter, let this much suffice.

QUESTION VI

Under what Form this Sacrament is perfected

But the form of this sacrament is the word and that solemn prayer used by the priest at each anointing: By this holy unction, may God indulge thee whatever sins thou hast committed by sight, smell, touch, &c. &c. And that such is the true and proper form of this sacrament, the apostle St. James intimates when he says: Let them pray over him, and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, words from which we may inter, that the form is to be pronounced by way of prayer, although the apostle does not say in what particular words that prayer is to be expressed. But this has reached us by the faithful tradition of the Fathers, so that all the churches retain that form observed by the holy Church of Rome, the mother and mistress of all churches. Some, it is true, alter a few words, as when for, God indulge thee, they say, God remit, or spare, and sometimes, heal, whatever thou hast committed; but, as there is no change of the sense, it is clear that the same form is religiously observed by all.

QUESTION VII

Why this Sacrament is expressed by way of Prayer

Nor should any one feel surprise that, whilst the form of each of the other sacraments either absolutely signifies what it effects, such as, I baptize thee, or I sign thee with the sign of the cross, or is pronounced, as it were, by way of a command, as in administering the sacrament of Order, receive power, this form of extreme unction alone is expressed by way of prayer. The very great propriety of this will at once appear; since this sacrament is administered, not only for the spiritual grace which it bestows, but also for the bodily health which it affords to the sick; yet, as it does not always happen that the sick recover from their illness, the form, therefore, consists of a prayer, by which we beg of the divine bounty that which is not a constant and uniform consequence of the effect of the sacrament. In the administration of this sacrament, also, are employed peculiar rites; but they, for the most part, consist of prayers, offered by the priest for the recovery of the sick. For there is no other sacrament, the administration of which is accompanied with more prayers; and with reason, for then most especially do the faithful require the assistance of pious prayers; and therefore all who may be present, but the pastors in particular, should earnestly implore God in behalf of the sick person, and most earnestly recommend his life and salvation to his mercy.

QUESTION VIII

Who was the Author of this Sacrament

It having been shown, that extreme unction is truly and properly to be numbered amongst the sacraments, it also follows that it derives its institution from Christ our Lord, having been subsequently proposed and promulgated to the faithful, by the apostle St. James. Our Saviour himself, however, seems to have given some indication of this unction, when he sent his disciples, two and two, before his face; for the evangelist informs us that going forth, they preached that men should do penance; and they cant out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. This anointing we cannot suppose to have been invented by the apostles, but commanded by our Lord; not endowed with some natural virtue, but mystical in its import; instituted rather to heal the maladies of the soul, than to cure the diseases of the body. This is affirmed by St. Dionysius, Ambrose, Chrysostom, and Gregory the Great; so that extreme unction is, beyond all doubt, to be recognized and most highly venerated as one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church.

QUESTION IX

Extreme Unction, to whom to be administered

But the faithful are to be taught that, although this sacrament appertains unto all, certain classes of persons are excepted, to whom it is not to be administered. In the first place, persons in sound health are excepted, according to the words of the apostle: Is any one sick among you; and, as reason also shows, for it was instituted to be medicinal not only to the soul, but also to the body. As then those only that labour under disease have occasion for cure, this sacrament should therefore be administered to those only who seem to be so dangerously ill as to excite apprehension of their rapidly approaching dissolution. It is, however, a most grievous sin to defer the holy unction until, all hope of recovery now being lost, life begins to ebb, and the sick person to sink into lifeless insensibility. It is, moreover, obvious that, if it be administered whilst the mind and reason are as yet unimpaired, and the sick man can bring to its reception faith and devotion of mind, this circumstance must contribute very much to enable him to partake more abundantly of the graces of the sacrament. Pastors must therefore take care to apply this heavenly medicine, in itself at all times most salutary, at a time whilst yet its efficacy can be increased by the piety and devotion of the persons to be cured.

To no one, therefore, who is not afflicted by heavy sickness, is it lawful to give the sacrament of unction, even if risk of life threaten by his undertaking a perilous voyage, or engaging in battle from which certain death may impend over him, or even if he be condemned to capital punishment, and about to be hurried off to execution. All, besides, who lack the use of reason, are unfit to receive this sacrament, as are also children, who commit no sins, from the remains of which they would have occasion to be healed by the remedial efficacy of this sacrament, and also fools and madmen, unless they sometimes have lucid intervals, and then in particular give some sign of devotion, and express a wish to be anointed with the sacred oil. For to persons insane from their birth, this sacrament is not to be administered; but if a sick person, whilst in the full possession of his faculties, express a wish to receive extreme unction, and afterwards become delirious and insane, he is to be anointed.

QUESTION X

What Parts of the Body ought to be anointed

The sacred unction is to be applied not to all the parts of the body, but to the organs of sense only, to the eyes, because [the organs] of sight; to the ears, because [the organs] of hearing; to the nostrils, because [the organs] of smell; to the mouth, because [the organ] of taste and speech; to the hands, because [the organs] of touch. For although the sense of touch is diffused alike throughout the whole body, the hands are its principal seat. This manner of administering extreme unction is observed throughout the Universal Church, and, from its medicinal nature, admirably accords with this sacrament. As in bodily infirmity, although the entire body be affected, the cure is applied to that part only which is the source and origin of the disease; so is this unction applied not to the entire body, but to those members which are pre-eminently the organs of sense, and also to the loins, which are, as it were, the seat of concupiscence, and to the feet, by which we are enabled to move from one place to another.

QUESTION XI

Extreme Unction may be repeated

Here it is to be observed, that, during the same illness, and whilst the sick man is in the same danger of dying, he is to be anointed but once. Should he, however, recover after having been thus anointed, he may receive the aid of this sacrament, as often as he shall subsequently fall into the same danger of life; and hence extreme unction is evidently to be numbered amongst those sacraments that may be repeated.

QUESTION XII

What is the Proper Religious Preparation for receiving this Sacrament worthily

But as every obstacle that may impede the grace of this sacrament should be removed with the greatest care, and as nothing is more opposed to it than the consciousness of mortal guilt, the pastor must observe the constant practice of the Catholic Church, so as not to administer extreme unction, until he has first administered the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist. Let parish priests then strive to persuade the sick person to receive this sacrament with the same faith, with which those who were of old to be healed by the apostles, used to present themselves. The health of the soul is to be the first object of the sick man’s wishes; then that of the body, with this qualification, however, if it avail his eternal salvation. The faithful should not doubt, that the holy and solemn prayers which are offered by the priest, not in his own person, but in that of the Church, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, are heard by God; and they are particularly to be most earnestly exhorted to take care, that the sacrament of this most salutary oil be administered to them with the sanctity and religion that become the season, when the sharpest conflict seems at hand, and the energies of the mind as well as of the body seem to be failing.

QUESTION XIII

Who should be the Minister of this Sacrament

Who is the minister of extreme unction we learn from the same apostle that promulgated the law passed by the Lord; for he says, Let him bring in the elders. By the word elders (presbyteri), as the Council of Trent has wisely expounded, he does not mean persons advanced in years, or of leading authority amongst the people, but priests who have been duly ordained by bishops by the imposition of hands. To the priest therefore is committed the administration of this sacrament; not however to every priest, as the holy Church has decreed, but to the proper pastor who has jurisdiction, or to another authorized by him to fulfil his office. In this, however, as in the administration of the other sacraments, it is to be most distinctly recollected, that the priest is the representative of Christ our Lord, and of his holy spouse, the Church.

QUESTION XIV

The Advantages of this Sacrament to Men

The advantages we receive from this sacrament are also to be accurately explained, that if nothing else can allure the faithful to its reception, they may be induced at least by its utility, since we are naturally disposed to measure almost everything by our interests. Pastors therefore will teach, that by this sacrament grace that remits sins is imparted, especially lighter offences, or, as they are commonly called, venial sins, for mortal sins are removed by the sacrament of penance. Nor was this sacrament instituted primarily for the remission of heavier offences; for this baptism and penance alone accomplish by their own efficacy. Another advantage of the sacred unction is, that it releases the soul from the languor and infirmity contracted by sin, and of all the other remains of sin. But the time to be considered most opportune for this cure is, when we are afflicted with severe illness, and danger of death impends. For man by nature dreads no human visitation so much as death; and this dread is greatly augmented by the recollection of our past sins, especially if the mind be goaded by the poignant reproaches of conscience; as it is written: They shall come with fear at the thought of their sins, and their iniquities shall convict them to their face. Another source of anxious care is the painful reflection, that we shall soon after stand before the judgment-seat of God, who will pass on us a sentence of strict justice according to that we have deserved. And the terror inspired by these considerations doth often wonderfully agitate the faithful; and to produce tranquillity at the hour of death, nothing can be more efficacious than if we banish, sadness, await with a joyous heart the coming of the Lord, and be ready willingly to surrender our deposit whenever he shall wish to demand it back. To free the minds of the faithful from this solicitude, and fill the soul with pious and holy joy, is then an effect of the sacrament of extreme unction.

From it we furthermore derive another advantage, which may with reason be esteemed the greatest of all. For although the enemy of mankind never ceases, as long as we live, to meditate our ruin; yet at no time does he more violently strain every nerve to utterly destroy us, and, if possible, deprive us of all hope of the divine mercy, than when he sees our last day approach. Therefore in this sacrament are the faithful supplied with arms and strength to enable them to break the violence and impetuosity of their adversary’s assaults, and to fight bravely against him. For the soul [of the sick man] is relieved and encouraged by the hope of the divine goodness, strengthened by which he experiences alleviation of all the burdens of sickness, and eludes with greater ease the artifice and cunning of the enemy, who lies in wait for him. Finally, the recovery of health, if indeed advantageous to the sick person, is another effect of this sacrament. However, should this effect not follow in these days, this is to be attributed, not to any defect of the sacrament, but to the weakness of faith on the part of many of those who are anointed with this sacred oil, or by whom it is administered. For the evangelist beareth witness, that our Lord wrought not many miracles amongst his own people, because of their unbelief. It may, however, justly be said, that the Christian religion, now that it has struck deeper roots as it were in the minds of men, stands less in need of the aid of such miracles in our days, than in the early ages of the rising Church, when they seem to have been more necessary. Nevertheless, faith is here to be strongly excited, for whatever may come to pass by God’s wisdom and good will with regard to the health of the body, the faithful should rely upon a certain hope, of attaining, by virtue of this sacred oil, spiritual health, and of experiencing, should the hour of their departure be at hand, the fruit of that glorious assurance, by which it is written, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.

We have explained these matters touching the sacrament of extreme unction thus briefly; but if these heads be developed by the pastor more at large, and with becoming diligence, the faithful, without doubt, will derive very great fruit of piety from their exposition.