Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

[Spyridon]

Part of the reason for this difference is the different views of sin (hamartiology) typical of East and West.

Western Christianity tends to think of sin more in judicial terms, whereas Eastern Christianity tends to think of sin more in medical terms. There is overlap in the Orient and the Occident, but also distinction.

I think this is why the usage of giving the whole parish Unction during Holy Week arose in the East but not in the West. In the East, everybody is considered to be sick and suffering from a terminal illness - sin. Whereas in the West, baptized people are viewed as being simply prone to committing transgressions of the law, but not necessarily sick.

We see this with regard to actual sin, but also original sin. In the West we call it original sin - the sin of Adam which is judicially passed on to his progeny in that we inherit the guilt of the original sin which must be cleansed in baptismal waters.

Whereas in the East we call it ancestral sin - a genetic condition which affects our whole body and soul, and which baptism “immunizes” us against.

 

[Zerg]

I have done this, usually they come up in families and receive a blessing.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

/…/

In a Roman Church that’s beyond questionable; it’s straight up illicit liturgical abuse.

The Priest seems to be in error and needs correction and needs to conform himself to the traditions and canons of his Rite in Holy Mother Church.

He probably has good intentions (unless he’s not ignorant and is doing so in direct defiance of the Holy Canons), but this abuse needs to stop.

Frankly, I feel the need to weigh in on the other side of this coin

You have made these statements and determinations against this priest based on the presentation of one person…who frankly presents to me a confused testimony, at best. The priest and the congregation’s account would be interesting to me

I remember once having a similar situation referred to me in our curia. I listened to the matter. I had a discussion with the parish priest who presented the actual facts. I had no question as to who I believed. I was, however, coming to the end of a first mandate concerning the issue of health care and the diocese

I had not been on a visit to that deanery in that role and so I went for the Mass the next time it occurred. I was invited to Preside, as the Bishop’s delegate, but I had not told my confrere that I really came to focus on observing everything in a detail I could not as Presider…I concelebrated

Everything unfolded according to their liturgical planning, their liturgical planners, the parish priest preaching. The professor in me gave them an excellent score for the liturgy

Now to specific points

Did most of the people come forward? Yes. Not everyone. There were some who came to support their fellow parishioners. Of those that came forward, however, not everyone was anointed. I would anoint a person, being accompanied by someone; I’d lean over to ask “Am I anointing you, too?” and would be told “I’m just pushing the wheelchair” or “I’m just steadying her so she doesn’t fall”

I remember one, however, who said “This is my 90 year old mother…I’m her 70 year old daughter…could I?” My answer? YES!

 

[Don_Ruggero]

cont’d

Not surprisingly, most of the people came forward – because this was, after all, a specially scheduled Mass, much longer than a daily Mass, and specific for this purpose. It had notoriety and I met people from all over the diocese. I also met the person who had been referred to me. She was not happy that I took the pulpit to bring greetings from the Bishop and to endorse this initiative

There was a reception afterward and it was easy enough, because of my position, to ask “what brought you to seek the anointing here tonight?” Not one person was without cause for being anointed…not one

Would I have always agreed personally with the decision to seek it? That question is more nuanced. I remember a case of one whose answer involved an issue, even anonymously I choose not to say, that was within my comfort zone because of my background in psychology. I would have, speaking clinically, placed it at a lower level of seriousness. In our discussion, what was clear was that her experience of this disorder was one of great debility and great in terms of impact on her quality of life. That is not inconsequential

There were a fair number of people who were younger but who were experiencing health issues. Some I would not have particularly encouraged to be anointed but neither would I have denied it; they were under on-going medical care, suffering chronic symptoms, some degradation of quality of life, and these were not conditions that would be treated, like an infection, for X number of days or weeks. They had reason

I have interacted with children with pediatric cancers that I would not be able to look at and know they were terminally ill. How well a person looks or her age is of no account to me when it comes to this sacrament.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I received this once at a church I used to go to after mass, but had no idea it was an abuse. I legit have a mental illness I was hoping to receive healing for

It is not an abuse to have the sacrament in the context of a parish or diocesan setting. In fact, in a month’s time, we will have the world day of the sick, instituted by Pope Saint John Paul II and continued by both Pope Benedict and Pope Francis. In dioceses around the world, there will be large scale anointing for those who are ill, those who are aged, and those who are suffering – or will be undergoing serious medical procedures.

I hope that your illness was helped by the anointing you received and that you have the opportunity to have pastoral care, if your unwellness is still part of your life.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Sacrilege

This comment is not appropriate.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

What we have here is someone who went to daily Mass, did not describe who was going up to receive the sacrament, has no personal knowledge of the medical status of those going up, and asked a rather innocent question, and without s scintilla of evidence some have pronounced that this is a violation of Canon law and/or an abuse of the sacrament.

And that will make a perfect presentation to the bishop of how this parish priest needs to be keelhauled?

You have stated the matter quite well.

 

[Roseeurekacross]

We have an Annointing Mass every few months. It’s advertised as such, held on a weekday, concelebrated by several Priests, and is followed by a social lunch.
The Priests move through us because not everyone is mobile. Those wishing Annointing hold their hands in a special way so the Priests know.
Far be it for me to ask anyone who chooses to be Annointed, why, or even look at another and think this way.
It’s between them, the Priest and God.

 

[Arkansan]

Arkansan:

Sacrilege

No. Not sacrilege. That’s something different.

We need to be careful not to go too far.

Simulating a sacrament is sacrilegious, no?

It’s common eastern practice, which you are ignorant of.

Stop trying to teach when you don’t understand things yourself.

I’ll trust the canon law of the Eastern Churches on this matter.

Arkansan:

What Spyridon said is incorrect. The conditions required are matters of basic sacramental theology, and thus the law is the same in both the Latin Church and the Eastern Churches. See my above post for the relevant law.

I don’t know enough about the Eastern Churches to say whether he is simply mistaking a sacramental for the Sacrament of Anointing, or whether he is describing a liturgical abuse similar to what the OP described. If it’s the former, then your participation as a Latin Catholic would very likely be just fine. Though if it’s the latter then of course no one should participate, as the mass simulation of a Sacrament is a grievous sacrilege.

There is such an Anointing in the East for Holy Week.

Interesting. But since the Sacrament of Anointing can only be administered to the seriously ill, as a matter of sacramental theology (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma is one of many possible sources for this) and canon law (both Latin and Eastern), this must be a sacramental, not the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (just as the use of chrism in priestly and episcopal ordinations is not confirmation).

 

[babochka]

Father,
If I, as a member of the Latin Church, happened to attend Forgiveness Vespers at a Byzantine Catholic Church during Holy Week, could I licitly receive this sacrament without being sick?

It happens on Holy Wednesday. Forgiveness Vespers occurs at the beginning of Great Lent, on Cheesefare.

 

[thistle]

Interesting. But since the Sacrament of Anointing can only be administered to the seriously ill, as a matter of sacramental theology (Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma is one of many possible sources for this) and canon law (both Latin and Eastern), this must be a sacramental, not the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (just as the use of chrism in priestly and episcopal ordinations is not confirmation).

It is a Sacrament.

TITLE V : THE SACRAMENT OF ANOINTING OF THE SICK (Cann. 998 - 1007)

Can. 998 The anointing of the sick, by which the Church commends to the suffering and glorified Lord the faithful who are dangerously ill so that he may support and save them, is conferred by anointing them with oil and pronouncing the words prescribed in the liturgical books.

 

[Arkansan]

You would do well to read what I was replying to.

There is (according to several people posting anyway) some sort of anointing with oil which is given to everyone during Holy Week in the Eastern rites.

Assuming this to be accurate, my point was that this is a sacramental, since the Sacrament of Anointing is reserved, as you noted, for the seriously ill.

I’m not sure what in my post you would object to.

 

[thistle]

You would do well to read what I was replying to.

There is (according to several people posting anyway) some sort of anointing with oil which is given to everyone during Holy Week in the Eastern rites.

Assuming this to be accurate, my point was that this is a sacramental, since the Sacrament of Anointing is reserved, as you noted, for the seriously ill.

I’m not sure what in my post you would object to.

It is not just for the seriously ill. It is also for old people even if they are not ill.

 

[Arkansan]

For those who begin to be in danger of death by reason of illness or old age.

In any case, the case of the elderly has nothing to do with the point. Please actually read what I was replying to.

 

[TK421]

@Don_Ruggero

I never hear much about this sacrament. Is it standard for people with mental illness or chronic conditions to seek it?

 

[Spyridon]

I just looked up in the CCEO and it does specify that Unction be given to those gravely ill.

However, at the Holy Week service in Byzantine Churches the whole congregation is anointed - it is NOT a sacramental, it is the Holy Mystery of Unction.

I’m not a Priest or a canon lawyer, so I’m not sure how this happens licitly, but it is an ancient Eastern usage of the Sacrament and must be respected.

It is a sacrilege in itself to call a venerable practice of the East a sacrilege.

 

[babochka]

You would do well to read what I was replying to.

There is (according to several people posting anyway) some sort of anointing with oil which is given to everyone during Holy Week in the Eastern rites.

Assuming this to be accurate, my point was that this is a sacramental, since the Sacrament of Anointing is reserved, as you noted, for the seriously ill.

I’m not sure what in my post you would object to.

Have you ever witnessed a Holy Wednesday Anointing? It is the sacrament that takes place. The minister is the same, the intention of the minister is the same, the oil is the same, the prayers are the same, the gestures are the same. Perhaps you could argue (incorrectly) that it is a simulation of the sacrament, but it is most definitely not a sacramental.

 

[pianistclare]

I’m not sure why some would vehemently object to a healing blessing for those in need.
So much for mercy.
Unsubscribing.
God bless our priests.

 

[Arkansan]

I looked it up and apparently this was a practice which arose post-schism in (certain parts of) Eastern Orthodoxy. I’ll need a source for the claim that this has been permitted for Eastern Catholics, or that it is ancient in origin. That some Eastern parishes may have decided to do it illicitly is believable, but no more evidence for it being licit (or even valid) than the fact that some Latin parishes do it.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05716a.htm

“Subject” #3

 

[guanophore]

I like this answer.

Then you should click the little heart at the bottom of the post.