Last rites performed on Protestant - was it efficacious?

[Tommy999]

Background:
My sister passed away about a month ago. She was a devout Methodist who was married to a Catholic man. She had a sudden hemorrhage and pupils were fixed and dilated for hours before being pronounced brain dead by surgeons.
While in this state, her husband sent for his priest to perform last rites at her hospital bed before they took her off artificial life support and she passed away.

Question: Was it efficacious?

Note: She was not anti-Catholic and encouraged him to attend mass and even went with him at his request when he attended, which was off-and-on.
Her Methodist pastor had visited her at the hospital in the hours before the hemorrhage and prayed with her but wasn’t made aware by her husband after the hemorrhage until she had already died.

Follow-up: What is the purpose of last rites? Does it include absolving of sins in the case of a Protestant or is that just for Catholics?

 

[Anesti33]

Yes, baptized Christians receive sacraments validly, but usually they receive them illicitly. Regardless of the legal implications of anointing a Protestant, your sister did indeed receive graces from these sacraments, so be at peace.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

I am very sorry to know of the loss of your sister. May she rest in peace.

Canon 844 §4. If the danger of death is present or if, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or conference of bishops, some other grave necessity urges it, Catholic ministers administer these same sacraments licitly also to other Christians not having full communion with the Catholic Church, who cannot approach a minister of their own community and who seek such on their own accord, provided that they manifest Catholic faith in respect to these sacraments and are properly disposed.

The only wrinkle I see here, is that the husband requested the last rites on your sister’s behalf, she did not request them herself. But evidently the priest was OK with this, and it is entirely possible that she could have told her husband she wanted a Catholic priest if she were ever dying.

Last rites would include anointing and absolution. Obviously she was unable to confess. I have to think that the rites were, indeed, efficacious. I certainly hope so.

I will defer to the knowledge and wisdom of someone more expert in the issue, if I am wrong.

 

[Tommy999]

The only wrinkle I see here, is that the husband requested the last rites on your sister’s behalf, she did not request them herself. But evidently the priest was OK with this, and it is entirely possible that she could have told her husband she wanted a Catholic priest if she were ever dying.

Knowing my sister, she would’ve been grateful for any and all prayers and other measures taken on her behalf by Christian clergymen.

 

[dscath]

Be at peace…your relative received sanctifying grace thru anointing.

Just as a side note, “last rites” is not a term for anointing of the sick at or near the time of death…”last rites” is the term many mistakenly refer to when they speak of viaticum, which is the receiving of the Eucharist by someone approaching death, and recipients must be in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Another note is, if a love one is terminal, every effort should be made to receive viaticum (food for the journey) while they can still swallow…but no worries, an unconscious person can still be anointed.

Be at peace!

 

[Tommy999]

Thanks for the kind words and clarification on anointing of the sick vs last rites.

 

[Anesti33]

Be at peace…your relative received sanctifying grace thru anointing.

Just as a side note, “last rites” is not a term for anointing of the sick at or near the time of death…”last rites” is the term many mistakenly refer to when they speak of viaticum, which is the receiving of the Eucharist by someone approaching death, and recipients must be in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Actually, “Last Rites” is the umbrella term for all of the sacraments received at the point of death, not just one.

 

[dscath]

Actually not…last rites is a made up term used errantly by the laity, and Protestants.

 

[Anesti33]

Actually it’s quite a valid descriptive term, regardless of who coined it, thanks for playing, tho.

For Anointing of the Sick in extremis we would refer to Extreme Unction.

 

[Anesti33]

You are correct that it can be used errantly. If a 25-year-old goes in for leg surgery and his pastor hears his confession and anoints him, Mom may call it “Last Rites” but it most certainly is not.

In the case of the OP, the usage is true and correct.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

dscath:

Be at peace…your relative received sanctifying grace thru anointing.

Just as a side note, “last rites” is not a term for anointing of the sick at or near the time of death…”last rites” is the term many mistakenly refer to when they speak of viaticum, which is the receiving of the Eucharist by someone approaching death, and recipients must be in full communion with the Catholic Church.

Actually, “Last Rites” is the umbrella term for all of the sacraments received at the point of death, not just one.

Actually not…last rites is a made up term used errantly by the laity, and Protestants.

I don’t see how it is “errant”. I think of it as a “catch-all” which can include any, or all, of the following:

• the Sacrament of Penance
• Anointing of the Sick
• Viaticum
• the Apostolic Pardon
• and even, conceivably, Baptism and/or Confirmation themselves (Confirmation being administered extraordinarily by a priest)
• and there was even a thread here recently concerning Matrimony in danger of death
• and taking it a bit further, it would be possible even to receive Holy Orders at the point of death, though a bishop would be needed for this

I would, then, think of “last rites” as providing any rites, prayers, or sacraments that might be needed at the point of death. It could vary from person to person.

 

[InThePew]

I would, then, think of “last rites” as providing any rites, prayers, or sacraments that might be needed at the point of death. It could vary from person to person.

Typically it refers to viaticum and anointing (which itself can include the apostolic parson). Baptism and/or confirmation at the time of death are rarer. Often, and particularly in the case of an older person or somebody who has been terminally ill for a while, they will have received the Eucharist and been anointed on a fairly regular basis in the weeks/months preceding their death. In a hospital situation however, often when the priest is called the person is only able to receive anointing (and sometimes viaticum).