Extreme Unction and Anointing of the Sick questions

[GodHeals]

Hi,

Extreme Unction and Anointing of the Sick the same and okay to administer weekly to the faithful at a healing Mass?

I heard it was only for dying people to remove sin unable to speak of in case of a coma (spiritual healing of the soul), etc? Not so much for physical healing? Or is it both?

Thank you and God Bless You!
Brian

 

[Lancer]

ARTICLE 5
THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK

II. WHO RECEIVES AND WHO ADMINISTERS THIS SACRAMENT?

In case of grave illness . . .

1514 The Anointing of the Sick "is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."130

1515 If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.

" . . . let him call for the presbyters of the Church"

1516 Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick.131 It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this sacrament. The faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to receive this sacrament. The sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention.

III. HOW IS THIS SACRAMENT CELEBRATED?

1517 Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration,132 whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons. It is very fitting to celebrate it within the Eucharist, the memorial of the Lord’s Passover. If circumstances suggest it, the celebration of the sacrament can be preceded by the sacrament of Penance and followed by the sacrament of the Eucharist. As the sacrament of Christ’s Passover the Eucharist should always be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the “viaticum” for “passing over” to eternal life.

1518 Word and sacrament form an indivisible whole. The Liturgy of the Word, preceded by an act of repentance, opens the celebration. The words of Christ, the witness of the apostles, awaken the faith of the sick person and of the community to ask the Lord for the strength of his Spirit.

1519 The celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal elements: the "priests of the Church"133 - in silence - lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church134 - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the bishop.

These liturgical actions indicate what grace this sacrament confers upon the sick.

 

[GodHeals]

Lancer:
Thank you for your help. It seems it is OK to receive the Anointing of the Sick regularly if a person is sick… i am assuming, psychological, emotional, physical, and spiritual sicknesses are all included.

The main sickness is that of the soul (sin - choosing to love anything other than God and Neighbor… and self?), so it should be okay to receive the sacrament regularly until the day i die?

Anymore (name removed by moderator)ut would be great!

God Bless You,
Brian

 

[jpjd]

No. It is not a substitute for the Sacrament of Penanace. If you have spiritual sickness, please go to Confession or make an appt to talk to a priest.

Anointing of the Sick is for those gravely ill/facing death although not necessarily at the point of death. i.e., for those approaching serious surgery, seriously chronically ill, feeble elderly, etc.

The point of the sacrament is that if it is God’s will we may be physically healed but it always gives us the grace to face what lies ahead in the face of our possible imminent bodily mortality, whether it be either continued suffering for now or death now.

 

[Joannm]

The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament that should be received often. One receives it when they have a life threatening illness or are going in for surgery. They can receive it again if the illness worsens. As another poster said it is not a substitute for confession and even though the words speak of forgiveness of sins, if a person is able they are required to go to confession as soon as possible. Usually if a person is in a hospital or in hospice or even homebound a priest will suggest they make a confession before they receive the anointing.

I was told by a priests that it was an abuse of the sacrament to receive it very often. The effects of this sacrament last quite awhile if one is properly disposed.

 

[Vico]

Catechism has:

1529 Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also when, after he has received it, the illness worsens.

1532 The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:

• the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church;
• the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age;
• the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of Penance;
• the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
• the preparation for passing over to eternal life.

CIC

Canon 1007
The anointing of the sick is not to be conferred upon those who obstinately persist in manifest serious sin.

Canon 1005
This sacrament is to be administered when there is a doubt whether the sick person has attained the use of reason, whether the person is dangerously ill, or whether the person is dead.