| Traditional Roman Catholicism |
The Sacrament of Extreme Unction & Last Rites
James 5:14-15: "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the
church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man. And the Lord shall raise
him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him."
What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction? Extreme Unction is the Sacrament
which gives health and strength to the soul and sometimes to the body to
persons who are in danger of death. The words "Extreme Unction" mean "last
anointing." In Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders, the body is anointed with
holy oil. In the Sacrament of Extreme Unction the body is anointed for the last
time. Hence the name.
How is Extreme Unction given? After praying over the sick person, the priest
anoints (makes the Sign of the Cross with the Holy Oil) on the person's eyes,
ears, nostrils, lips, hands, and feet.
What does the priest say while anointing the sick person? He says: "Through
this holy anointing, and by His most tender mercy, may the Lord pardon you
what sins you have committed by sight (hearing, speech, and so on).
What does Extreme Unction do for your soul? The Sacrament of Extreme
Unction --
1. Gives you more Sanctifying Grace;
2. Helps you to bear your sufferings;
3. Strengthens you against the temptations of the devil;
4. Sometimes gives back your health;
5. Takes away temporal punishment due to sin;
6. Prepares you for immediate entry into Heaven.
Does Extreme Unction take away sin? Extreme Unction takes away --
1. All your venial sins
2. even your mortal sins if you are unable to confess them but are truly sorry for
them.
Who can give Extreme Unction?
Only a Catholic priest.
Who can receive Extreme Unction?
Any Catholic in danger of death from sickness, old age or accident not only can,
but should receive Extreme Unction. However, it may not be given to infants or
to anyone who has never had the use of reason.
When should you receive Extreme Unction?
Whenever the sickness or accident is so serious that it could cause death.
Examples: Pneumonia, heart attack, a serious car accident.
How often can you receive Extreme Unction?
Only once in the same danger of death. However, if a new danger arises, you
can receive it again
What should be done in case of sudden death?
Send for a priest right away, because Extreme Unction may be given even after
a person is apparently dead. Even when a person displays all the usual
manifestations of death, the soul may still not have departed from the body.
Therefore, the Church allows Extreme Unction to be administered for a time
after "death" has occurred.
Why is it wrong to wait until the sick person is unconscious before sending for
the priest?
Because the sick person must be conscious in order to benefit the most from
the Sacrament.
What kind of sin is it to deprive a sick person of Extreme Unction?
A mortal sin. It often happens that a convert is the only Catholic in a family. If
this is your case, therefore, you should tell your relatives to send for the priest if
you are ever in danger of death
What should be done before the priest comes to anoint the sick person?
Spread a white cloth on a table beside the bed. Then put a crucifix, two blessed
candles, a bottle of holy water, a glass of drinking water, a spoon and some
cotton on the table.
A member of the family, carrying a lighted candle, should meet the priest at the
door and lead him to the sickroom. No one should talk to the priest, for he
probably has the Holy Eucharist with him. Everyone should kneel down when
he enters. If you do not have the above items, call the priest anyway.
What does the priest do when he enters the sickroom?
First, he says some prayers, sprinkles the sick person with holy water and hears
his Confession. Then he gives him Holy Communion and Extreme Unction, and
finally, the Last Blessing.
All of these together are called the Last Sacraments or Last Rites of the Church.
(Everyone else leaves the room while the priest hears the sick person's
Confession.)
Things You Should Know
Do not worry that a sick person will be frightened by the priest, because
Catholics should always be glad to see the priest in order to receive the
comforts that only the Sacraments can bring.
If you are going to be a patient in a non-Catholic hospital, tell your parish priest
which one you are going to and how long you expect to be there. Also, tell the
doctors and nurses that you are Catholic and that they should send for a priest if
you become critical or serious.
Catholics should be buried in Catholic cemeteries. Tell your relatives to see
your parish priest about your funeral. Or, make the arrangements yourself
ahead of time.
Catholics are forbidden to have their bodies cremated, except in case of a
serious public necessity. The Catholic burial service used to be denied to those
who give orders to have their bodies cremated. Reason for this is because your
body is holy. You have been consuming the Body of Jesus your whole life and
this is why you should be buried in blessed soil (Catholic Cemetery) and also
the reason you should never consider being cremated unless the state law
enforces it on you.
James 5:14-15: "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the
church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man. And the Lord shall raise
him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him."
What is the Sacrament of Extreme Unction? Extreme Unction is the Sacrament
which gives health and strength to the soul and sometimes to the body to
persons who are in danger of death. The words "Extreme Unction" mean "last
anointing." In Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders, the body is anointed with
holy oil. In the Sacrament of Extreme Unction the body is anointed for the last
time. Hence the name.
How is Extreme Unction given? After praying over the sick person, the priest
anoints (makes the Sign of the Cross with the Holy Oil) on the person's eyes,
ears, nostrils, lips, hands, and feet.
What does the priest say while anointing the sick person? He says: "Through
this holy anointing, and by His most tender mercy, may the Lord pardon you
what sins you have committed by sight (hearing, speech, and so on).
What does Extreme Unction do for your soul? The Sacrament of Extreme
Unction --
1. Gives you more Sanctifying Grace;
2. Helps you to bear your sufferings;
3. Strengthens you against the temptations of the devil;
4. Sometimes gives back your health;
5. Takes away temporal punishment due to sin;
6. Prepares you for immediate entry into Heaven.
Does Extreme Unction take away sin? Extreme Unction takes away --
1. All your venial sins
2. even your mortal sins if you are unable to confess them but are truly sorry for
them.
Who can give Extreme Unction?
Only a Catholic priest.
Who can receive Extreme Unction?
Any Catholic in danger of death from sickness, old age or accident not only can,
but should receive Extreme Unction. However, it may not be given to infants or
to anyone who has never had the use of reason.
When should you receive Extreme Unction?
Whenever the sickness or accident is so serious that it could cause death.
Examples: Pneumonia, heart attack, a serious car accident.
How often can you receive Extreme Unction?
Only once in the same danger of death. However, if a new danger arises, you
can receive it again
What should be done in case of sudden death?
Send for a priest right away, because Extreme Unction may be given even after
a person is apparently dead. Even when a person displays all the usual
manifestations of death, the soul may still not have departed from the body.
Therefore, the Church allows Extreme Unction to be administered for a time
after "death" has occurred.
Why is it wrong to wait until the sick person is unconscious before sending for
the priest?
Because the sick person must be conscious in order to benefit the most from
the Sacrament.
What kind of sin is it to deprive a sick person of Extreme Unction?
A mortal sin. It often happens that a convert is the only Catholic in a family. If
this is your case, therefore, you should tell your relatives to send for the priest if
you are ever in danger of death
What should be done before the priest comes to anoint the sick person?
Spread a white cloth on a table beside the bed. Then put a crucifix, two blessed
candles, a bottle of holy water, a glass of drinking water, a spoon and some
cotton on the table.
A member of the family, carrying a lighted candle, should meet the priest at the
door and lead him to the sickroom. No one should talk to the priest, for he
probably has the Holy Eucharist with him. Everyone should kneel down when
he enters. If you do not have the above items, call the priest anyway.
What does the priest do when he enters the sickroom?
First, he says some prayers, sprinkles the sick person with holy water and hears
his Confession. Then he gives him Holy Communion and Extreme Unction, and
finally, the Last Blessing.
All of these together are called the Last Sacraments or Last Rites of the Church.
(Everyone else leaves the room while the priest hears the sick person's
Confession.)
Things You Should Know
Do not worry that a sick person will be frightened by the priest, because
Catholics should always be glad to see the priest in order to receive the
comforts that only the Sacraments can bring.
If you are going to be a patient in a non-Catholic hospital, tell your parish priest
which one you are going to and how long you expect to be there. Also, tell the
doctors and nurses that you are Catholic and that they should send for a priest if
you become critical or serious.
Catholics should be buried in Catholic cemeteries. Tell your relatives to see
your parish priest about your funeral. Or, make the arrangements yourself
ahead of time.
Catholics are forbidden to have their bodies cremated, except in case of a
serious public necessity. The Catholic burial service used to be denied to those
who give orders to have their bodies cremated. Reason for this is because your
body is holy. You have been consuming the Body of Jesus your whole life and
this is why you should be buried in blessed soil (Catholic Cemetery) and also
the reason you should never consider being cremated unless the state law
enforces it on you.
" I'm Catholic. In the event of an
emergency, call a pries t"
Catholics often carry cards in their
wallets, or wear medals around
their necks, that contain the above
words (or simply, "I'm Catholic; call
a priest"), sometimes with the
priest's phone number/pager
number. These cards are meant to
help ensure that in an emergency,
a doctor, nurse, EMT, policeman,
etc., will call a priest to adminster
Unction to the Catholic in need.
Make sure that family members,
even non-Catholic ones, are aware
of your desire for Unction if you
are facing death, and have your
priest's phone number/pager
number someplace where they'll
be able to locate it easily.
emergency, call a pries t"
Catholics often carry cards in their
wallets, or wear medals around
their necks, that contain the above
words (or simply, "I'm Catholic; call
a priest"), sometimes with the
priest's phone number/pager
number. These cards are meant to
help ensure that in an emergency,
a doctor, nurse, EMT, policeman,
etc., will call a priest to adminster
Unction to the Catholic in need.
Make sure that family members,
even non-Catholic ones, are aware
of your desire for Unction if you
are facing death, and have your
priest's phone number/pager
number someplace where they'll
be able to locate it easily.
