Why are a priest's hands anointed?

[ClearWater]

When a priest is ordained, it’s my understanding he has his hands blessed and is specially consecrated to be able to distribute Holy communion. In light of this, how can a eucharistic minister, who has never had his/her hands consecrated distribute communion?

 

[Fr.Charles_Grondin]

The anointing of the hands is not so that the priest may distribute communion, it is a sign that his hands are the instrument through which he will bless and consecrate. We can see this in the wording used in the 1964 Roman Ritual:

[The Bishop] says as he performs the anointings:

May it please you, O Lord, to consecrate and sanctify these hands by this anointing and our + blessing.

All: Amen.

And having made the sign of the cross over the hands of the ordained he continues:

That whatever they bless may be blessed, and whatever they consecrate may be consecrated in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The USCCB also reinforces this understanding in its FAQ on Ordination:

1. What does the anointing of the hands signify?

Anointing with oil stems from the Old Testament and indicates that someone or something is being set apart for a sacred task or duty. The anointing of the hands signifies that the hands of the newly ordained priest are being prepared for the sacred duties and vessels which will be part of the priestly ministry, for example, offering the bread and the wine, anointing the sick and blessing people. The bishop says as he anoints the hands: “The Father anointed our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God.”