Dying relative - Extreme unction

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missadeangelis

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It appears that my 96-year-old great-grandmother will soon depart from this world, possibly before Christmas. She is a baptized Catholic who was raised in the Catholic Faith, however, she married an Anglican and at some point began going to Anglican services, though in discussions with her, I do not believe that she renounced Catholicism in practice. She baptized her Children as Catholics (including my own Grandmother who is and has always been a practicing Catholic) and she assents to the tenets of the Catholic Faith, however, it would seem that in the process of life she committed an objective act of apostasy. From my discussions with her, I do not think she is aware that what she did is wrong and/or that she proceeded to act against God. Is apostasy ever non-mortal?

I desperately want her to receive Catholic last rights/extreme unction. Would she have to renounce everything Anglican and confess a mortal sin of apostasy in her last confession? I really am convinced that she does not now nor ever has considered or is fully aware that this passive “switch” over to Anglicanism after she was married was a mortal sin and wrong. She knows that I do not recognize their “priests” as anything more than laymen or the validity of their sacraments, though I do think she would happily and gratefully receive rights if possible. She believes in the real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Before I seek her permission to bring in a real Priest, I’d like to hear your thoughts. Thank you.

mda
 
missadeangelis said:
It appears that my 96-year-old great-grandmother will soon depart from this world, possibly before Christmas. She is a baptized Catholic who was raised in the Catholic Faith, however, she married an Anglican and at some point began going to Anglican services, though in discussions with her, I do not believe that she renounced Catholicism in practice. She baptized her Children as Catholics (including my own Grandmother who is and has always been a practicing Catholic) and she assents to the tenets of the Catholic Faith, however, it would seem that in the process of life she committed an objective act of apostasy. From my discussions with her, I do not think she is aware that what she did is wrong and/or that she proceeded to act against God. Is apostasy ever non-mortal?

I desperately want her to receive Catholic last rights/extreme unction. Would she have to renounce everything Anglican and confess a mortal sin of apostasy in her last confession? I really am convinced that she does not now nor ever has considered or is fully aware that this passive “switch” over to Anglicanism after she was married was a mortal sin and wrong. She knows that I do not recognize their “priests” as anything more than laymen or the validity of their sacraments, though I do think she would happily and gratefully receive rights if possible. She believes in the real presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Before I seek her permission to bring in a real Priest, I’d like to hear your thoughts. Thank you.

mda
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My dear, while your intent may be good it is misdirected.

Bring in a Priest at once. You are not the judge of great-grandma’s soul or state of grace, only God is. What goes on between the Priest and great-grandma vis-a-vis confession is between him, great-grandma and God.
 
Definitely get a priest to come see her, ASAP! And prayers here for here, too.

You might “clue in” the priest to her situation beforehand, privately, so he might be able to help her more effectively - what he then does with the info is up to him, and to your grandma when she talks to him in private.
 
TheDoctor said:
My dear, while your intent may be good it is misdirected.

Bring in a Priest at once. You are not the judge of great-grandma’s soul or state of grace, only God is. What goes on between the Priest and great-grandma vis-a-vis confession is between him, great-grandma and God.
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👍

Yes, please contact a priest right away. This is what they’re there for. He’ll know how to handle it and what to do.
 
No time to waste, call the priest so she has a chance for make her confession before it’s too late.
 
Yes! Call the priest and clue him into the situation.

And another thing… Ask the priest to give her the Apostolic Pardon. This is a special plenary indulgence for those who are near death. The usual conditions don’t apply. The only condition, other than sincere sorrow for one’s sins, is that you have to have prayed regularly at some point in your life. Any priest may give it. Unfortunately, many priests don’t know about it. The words are very comforting. My mother received it just before she died, and I’m sure she’s in heaven now.

Here’s a link to Fr. Z’s discussion of it:

wdtprs.com/blog/2011/06/quaeritur-why-dont-priests-use-the-apostolic-pardon-for-the-dying/

I’m confident that a priest who understands the situation will be able to elicit sufficient remorse to make her confession valid, and will then grant the Apostolic Pardon. With that, she should be good to go.

We should all learn about the Apostolic Pardon and request it for ourselves and our loved ones.

Here’s some additional information from EWTN:

ewtn.com/vexperts/showmessage.asp?number=520698
 
You should get her permission first to bring in a priest. It would be very awkward if your grandmother, upon seeing a priest, declined to talk to him.
 
In a very similar situation I brought in a very pastoral priest who did anoint my FIL not once, but twice.

It all worked out.
 
You might want to pray about your opinion about Anglican sacraments. I was raised Anglican and am currently in RCIA and my baptism was recognized as valid by the Catholic Church.
 
RedSparklyShoes said:
You might want to pray about your opinion about Anglican sacraments. I was raised Anglican and am currently in RCIA and my baptism was recognized as valid by the Catholic Church.
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Baptism is different. Anyone can validly baptize provided they follow the proper Trinitarian formula and use water. Thus, the Catholic Church recognizes as valid those Baptisms from many different denominations.

Other Sacraments (like Anointing of the Sick) can only be validly administered by a validly ordained priest. The Church does not recognize as valid the ordinations of Anglican clergy (hence why those Agnlican/Episcopalian clergy who convert and wish to become priests are ordained in the Catholic Church).
 
Joe_5859 said:
Baptism is different. Anyone can validly baptize provided they follow the proper Trinitarian formula and use water. Thus, the Catholic Church recognizes as valid those Baptisms from many different denominations.

Other Sacraments (like Anointing of the Sick) can only be validly administered by a validly ordained priest. The Church does not recognize as valid the ordinations of Anglican clergy (hence why those Agnlican/Episcopalian clergy who convert and wish to become priests are ordained in the Catholic Church).
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That’s actually not quite true. I personally know of several priests who were accepted as priests by the Catholic Church and did not have a 2nd ordination. Yes, there was a liturgy to do it, but it wasn’t an ordination again.
 
RedSparklyShoes said:
That’s actually not quite true. I personally know of several priests who were accepted as priests by the Catholic Church and did not have a 2nd ordination. Yes, there was a liturgy to do it, but it wasn’t an ordination again.
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I also know some priests who came over. It was definitely an ordination.
 
Joe_5859 said:
I also know some priests who came over. It was definitely an ordination.
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Well, then, we’ll just have to agree that you can’t use a blanket statement that some sacraments weren’t valid from other churches.

My main point is that by reiterating our differences with other churches (especially with those we love) does nothing to unify the Body. Sometimes we forget that we’re all on the same team here. Luther didn’t mean for what happened to happen – he wanted the Church to straighten up. But what we ended up with was 48,000 denominations.
 
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