Anointing of the Sick
The Catechism of the Catholic Church on Anointing of the SickChrist invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their turn...By following him they acquire a new outlook on illness and the sick. Jesus associates them with his own life of poverty and service. He makes them share in his ministry of compassion and healing:
"So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them.". The risen Lord renews this mission ("In my name . . . they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.") and confirms it through the signs that the Church performs by invoking his name. These signs demonstrate in a special way that Jesus is truly "God who saves."The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord. But even the most intense prayers do not always obtain the healing of all illnesses. Thus St. Paul must learn from the Lord that "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness," and that the sufferings to be endured can mean that "in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his Body, that is, the Church." (CCC 1506-1508)
USCCB Anointing of the Sick Handout
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Early Church Fathers on Anointing of the SickSt. Innocent I
Since your love prompts you to seek advice on this as on other matters, my son Celestine the deacon also mentioned in his letter that Your Excellency had put up for discussion the text in the epistle of St. James the Apostle: ‘If anyone among you is sick, let him call the presbyters, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of the faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will restore him, and if he has sinned, He will forgive him’ (James 5:14f). There is no doubt that this ought to be understood of the faithful who are sick and who can be anointed with the holy oil of chrism which is prepared by a bishop. It is not just priests but all as Christians who may be anointed with this oil when it is necessary for themselves or their families. However, it seems to Us that an idle point is raised when doubt is expressed in the case of a bishop about something that is certainly permitted to priests. For the very reason that it was assigned to priests is that bishops are burdened with other business and are not able to go to all the sick. However, if a bishop is able or thinks someone worthy of a visit form him, then he, whose duty it is to prepare the chrism, can without any hesitation bless and anoint the sick with the chrism. But the chrism cannot be poured on those doing penance because this is one of the sacraments. How is it conceivable that one sacrament can be granted to a person to whom the rest of the sacraments are denied? Letter to Decentius TCT, 322-323 Scripture - Anointing of the Sick
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CATECHISMArticle 5 THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK
I. Its Foundations in the Economy of Salvation II. Who Receives and Who Administers This Sacrament? III. How is This Sacrament Celebrated? IV. The Effects of the Celebration of This Sacrament V. Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian IN BRIEF CANON LAW | ||||||||||
