Anointing of the Sick
By Deacon Jim

Over the last fifty years, confusion has developed within the Church on the appropriate time to request the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. Hopefully, this article will help clear up that confusion and provide some guidance on when to request the sacrament and when it can and should be administered.

From the time of Jesus through the early Church and into the period of the Church Fathers, the sacrament of Anointing was tied closely to the spiritual and physical healing that Jesus performed through His miracles and the healings that were performed by the apostles. Because of this, the use of the sacrament was to give a sense of meaning to something, like illness, that at times can be meaningless. Therefore, the sacrament was administered quite freely in the early Church. In an effort to make people take anointing more seriously, the monks of the 8th century began to tie the sacrament to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Because many people waited until their deathbed to receive Reconciliation, it became common practice to also be anointed at that time. This practice continued through the centuries until just recently.

Today, the entire set of rites for the Church in its ministry to the sick provide for not only Reconciliation and Anointing, but also Viaticum- or Last Communion. The Church encourages people to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick when they are fully able to participate and feel the effects of the sacrament. In other words, people and families are encouraged not to wait until death is imminent.

Therefore those people who can be anointed are as follows: anyone seriously ill, temporarily ill and convalescing, chronically ill, emotionally troubled, and preparing for surgery. Also, those to be anointed could include the aged, sick children who have reached the age of reason (around the age of 7), and anyone previously anointed but whose condition has changed.

In order to make arrangements for anointing and if you know you will be admitted to the hospital or having surgery, please make an appointment with one of your parish priests before admittance. If you or your loved ones are admitted to the hospital unexpectedly, please call your parish office as soon as possible if you would like to be anointed. If you or your loved one become critically ill, it is not always possible to make arrangements with one of your priests, although every effort will be made to help. Please be aware that every hospital and many health care facilities, Catholic or not, have a parish(s) that is responsible for the pastoral care of their patients. Please contact the hospital chaplain or hospital pastoral care department for further assistance.

For those who have been anointed and who are preparing for death, the Church provides the Rite of Viaticum (Last Communion). This is meant to strengthen the person on their passage to a new life, in other words, provide them food for the journey. It is strongly encouraged that even if someone has been anointed, that they continue to receive communion to help them on their journey. Please contact me or one of your parish priests for more information.

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