Sect. 272The Minister, Recipient, and Effects of Extreme UnctionThe Minister, Recipient, and Effects of Extreme Unction
I. “The proper ministers of this sacrament,” says the Council of Trent, “are the Presbyters of the Church; by which name are to be understood in that place (James 5), not the elders by age, or the foremost in dignity amongst the people, but either bishops or priests, rightly ordained by the imposition of the hands of the priesthood” (sess. xiv. ch. 4, and can. 4). As St. James speaks of “priests” (in the plural), we find it prescribed in many ancient rituals that the sacrament should be administered by more than one priest (see also St. Thom., Contr. Gent., iv. 73). Sometimes one was to anoint, while another recited the prayers; sometimes one part was anointed by one priest and another part by another; sometimes each priest anointed each part and recited the prayers. At the present day Extreme Unction is administered in the Greek Church by seven, or at least three, priests. Nevertheless, there are numerous examples of the present Western usage in which only one priest administers (Chardon, l.c., ch. i.); and the Council of Trent condemns those that say “that the rite and usage of Extreme Unction, which the holy Roman Church observeth, is repugnant to the sentiment of the blessed Apostle James” (l.c., can. 3). See St. Thomas, Suppl., q. 31, a. 1, 3.
II. “It is also declared,” continues the Council of Trent, “that this unction is to be applied to the sick, but especially to those who lie in such danger as to seem to be about to depart this life; whence, also, it is called the sacrament of the departing. And if the sick should recover, after having received the unction, they may again be aided by the succour of this sacrament when they fall into another like danger of death” (sess. xiv. ch. 4). According to the usage prescribed by the Roman ritual, it is given after the Holy Viaticum. But nearly every ancient ritual reverses this order (Martène, De Ant. Eccl. Rit., tom. ii. p. 108). As sickness is a necessary condition for receiving this sacrament (“Is any man sick [ἀσθενεῖ] among you?” “The prayer of faith shall save the sick man [τὸν κάμνοντα]),” it cannot be given to soldiers going to battle, or to the condemned before execution. It should not, however, be delayed until the sick person has lost consciousness, and so cannot receive the sacrament with attention and devotion (Catech. of the Counc. of Trent, ii. 6, 9). It cannot be repeated in the same illness; but if the sick person recovers and falls ill again, it may again be administered. See St. Thomas, Suppl., q. 33; St. Alphonsus, l.c., n. 715.
III. The effects of the sacrament are thus described by the Council of Trent: “The thing (res) here signified is the grace of the Holy Ghost, whose anointing cleanses away sins, if there be any still to be expiated, as also the remains of sins; and raises up and strengthens the soul of the sick person, by exciting in him a great confidence in the mercy of God, whereby the sick person, being supported, bears more easily the inconveniences and pains of his illness, and more readily resists the temptations of the devil, who lieth in wait for his heel (Gen. 3:15); and at times obtains bodily health when expedient for the welfare of the soul” (sess. xiv. ch. 2). Here, then, are three effects enumerated: (1) remission of sin; (2) strengthening of the soul; (3) restoration of health.
1. Although remission of sin is the first effect mentioned by the Council, the sacrament was not primarily instituted for this purpose. St. James says, “If he be in sins (κἂν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς), they shall be forgiven him.” The sacraments of the dead are only two in number: Baptism and Penance; the former for the remission of Original Sin, the latter for the remission of Actual Sin. Nevertheless, if the sick person has been unable to confess, and has only attrition (supra, p. 471), the sacrament of Extreme Unction can remit his mortal sins. If, however, these have already been forgiven, the sacrament removes “the remains of sin” (peccati reliquias); that is to say, the evil effects of sin, the weakening of the will, spiritual sloth, disgust for heavenly things, etc. And it also remits, more or less, the temporal punishment due to sin.
2. The strengthening of the soul in the final combat with the Evil One is the primary object of Extreme Unction. “As in the other sacraments,” says the Council of Trent, in addition to the words quoted above, “our Redeemer prepared the greatest aids whereby during life Christians may preserve themselves whole from every grievous spiritual evil, so did He guard the close of life, by the sacrament of Extreme Unction, as with a most firm defence. For though our adversary seeks and seizes opportunities all our life long to be able in any way to devour our souls, yet is there no time wherein he strains more vehemently all the powers of his craft to ruin us utterly, and if he can possibly, to make us fall even from trust in the mercy of God, than when he perceives the end of our life to be at hand” (sess. xiv., of Extr. Unct.).
3. Seeing that we must all die, and, moreover, that the restoration of health may only give occasion for fresh sin, it is clear that the third effect of this sacrament is conditional; viz. if God sees that the prolongation of life will be beneficial to the sick person.
These various effects are admirably described by St. Thomas: “Every sacrament is instituted primarily for some one effect, though it may likewise produce other effects as consequences of this one. And inasmuch as a sacrament produces what it signifies, its primary effect is to be gathered from its signification. Now, this sacrament is administered by way of a cure, just as baptism is administered by way of washing. And a remedy is meant to remove disease. Hence this sacrament is primarily intended to heal the disease of sin. Hence, just as baptism is a spiritual regeneration, and penance a spiritual raising to life, so extreme unction is a spiritual healing or curing. But just as the healing of the body presupposes the body to be alive, so does the healing of the soul (medicatio spiritualis) presuppose the life of the soul. And therefore this sacrament is not given as a remedy against defects by which the life of the soul is taken away, e.g. original sin or mortal sin; but against those defects by which a man is spiritually weakened and is deprived of perfect strength for acts of life, grace, and glory; and this defect is nothing but a certain debility and unfitness (ineptitudo) left in us by original or actual sin; and it is against this weakness that man is strengthened by this sacrament. But inasmuch as this strength is given by grace which suffers not the presence of sin, therefore if [the sacrament] finds any mortal or venial sin in the soul, it removes the guilt (culpa) of the sin, provided that the recipient places no obstacle in the way, as already observed in the case of the Eucharist and Confirmation. And therefore James also speaks of the remission of sin conditionally, saying, ‘If he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him;’ that is to say, as regards guilt; for [the sacrament] does not always blot out sin, because it does not always find it present; but it always remits sin so far as regards the weakness aforesaid, which is called the remains of sin” (Suppl., q. 30, a. 1). See also Bellarmine, De Extr. Unct., c. 8; Suarez, Disp., xli.
On the whole of this chapter, see St. Thomas, Supp. xxix.–xxxiii.; Chardon, Hist. des Sacrements; De Augustinis, De Re Sacramentaria, lib. iii.; Turmel, Hist. de la Théologie Positive, pp. 154, 340, 463; Billot, De Ecclesiæ Sacramentis, tom. ii.; Ballerini, Opus Theologicum Morale, vol. v.
I. “The proper ministers of this sacrament,” says the Council of Trent, “are the Presbyters of the Church; by which name are to be understood in that place (James 5), not the elders by age, or the foremost in dignity amongst the people, but either bishops or priests, rightly ordained by the imposition of the hands of the priesthood” (sess. xiv. ch. 4, and can. 4). As St. James speaks of “priests” (in the plural), we find it prescribed in many ancient rituals that the sacrament should be administered by more than one priest (see also St. Thom., Contr. Gent., iv. 73). Sometimes one was to anoint, while another recited the prayers; sometimes one part was anointed by one priest and another part by another; sometimes each priest anointed each part and recited the prayers. At the present day Extreme Unction is administered in the Greek Church by seven, or at least three, priests. Nevertheless, there are numerous examples of the present Western usage in which only one priest administers (Chardon, l.c., ch. i.); and the Council of Trent condemns those that say “that the rite and usage of Extreme Unction, which the holy Roman Church observeth, is repugnant to the sentiment of the blessed Apostle James” (l.c., can. 3). See St. Thomas, Suppl., q. 31, a. 1, 3.
II. “It is also declared,” continues the Council of Trent, “that this unction is to be applied to the sick, but especially to those who lie in such danger as to seem to be about to depart this life; whence, also, it is called the sacrament of the departing. And if the sick should recover, after having received the unction, they may again be aided by the succour of this sacrament when they fall into another like danger of death” (sess. xiv. ch. 4). According to the usage prescribed by the Roman ritual, it is given after the Holy Viaticum. But nearly every ancient ritual reverses this order (Martène, De Ant. Eccl. Rit., tom. ii. p. 108). As sickness is a necessary condition for receiving this sacrament (“Is any man sick [ἀσθενεῖ] among you?” “The prayer of faith shall save the sick man [τὸν κάμνοντα]),” it cannot be given to soldiers going to battle, or to the condemned before execution. It should not, however, be delayed until the sick person has lost consciousness, and so cannot receive the sacrament with attention and devotion (Catech. of the Counc. of Trent, ii. 6, 9). It cannot be repeated in the same illness; but if the sick person recovers and falls ill again, it may again be administered. See St. Thomas, Suppl., q. 33; St. Alphonsus, l.c., n. 715.
III. The effects of the sacrament are thus described by the Council of Trent: “The thing (res) here signified is the grace of the Holy Ghost, whose anointing cleanses away sins, if there be any still to be expiated, as also the remains of sins; and raises up and strengthens the soul of the sick person, by exciting in him a great confidence in the mercy of God, whereby the sick person, being supported, bears more easily the inconveniences and pains of his illness, and more readily resists the temptations of the devil, who lieth in wait for his heel (Gen. 3:15); and at times obtains bodily health when expedient for the welfare of the soul” (sess. xiv. ch. 2). Here, then, are three effects enumerated: (1) remission of sin; (2) strengthening of the soul; (3) restoration of health.
1. Although remission of sin is the first effect mentioned by the Council, the sacrament was not primarily instituted for this purpose. St. James says, “If he be in sins (κἂν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς), they shall be forgiven him.” The sacraments of the dead are only two in number: Baptism and Penance; the former for the remission of Original Sin, the latter for the remission of Actual Sin. Nevertheless, if the sick person has been unable to confess, and has only attrition (supra, p. 471), the sacrament of Extreme Unction can remit his mortal sins. If, however, these have already been forgiven, the sacrament removes “the remains of sin” (peccati reliquias); that is to say, the evil effects of sin, the weakening of the will, spiritual sloth, disgust for heavenly things, etc. And it also remits, more or less, the temporal punishment due to sin.
2. The strengthening of the soul in the final combat with the Evil One is the primary object of Extreme Unction. “As in the other sacraments,” says the Council of Trent, in addition to the words quoted above, “our Redeemer prepared the greatest aids whereby during life Christians may preserve themselves whole from every grievous spiritual evil, so did He guard the close of life, by the sacrament of Extreme Unction, as with a most firm defence. For though our adversary seeks and seizes opportunities all our life long to be able in any way to devour our souls, yet is there no time wherein he strains more vehemently all the powers of his craft to ruin us utterly, and if he can possibly, to make us fall even from trust in the mercy of God, than when he perceives the end of our life to be at hand” (sess. xiv., of Extr. Unct.).
3. Seeing that we must all die, and, moreover, that the restoration of health may only give occasion for fresh sin, it is clear that the third effect of this sacrament is conditional; viz. if God sees that the prolongation of life will be beneficial to the sick person.
These various effects are admirably described by St. Thomas: “Every sacrament is instituted primarily for some one effect, though it may likewise produce other effects as consequences of this one. And inasmuch as a sacrament produces what it signifies, its primary effect is to be gathered from its signification. Now, this sacrament is administered by way of a cure, just as baptism is administered by way of washing. And a remedy is meant to remove disease. Hence this sacrament is primarily intended to heal the disease of sin. Hence, just as baptism is a spiritual regeneration, and penance a spiritual raising to life, so extreme unction is a spiritual healing or curing. But just as the healing of the body presupposes the body to be alive, so does the healing of the soul (medicatio spiritualis) presuppose the life of the soul. And therefore this sacrament is not given as a remedy against defects by which the life of the soul is taken away, e.g. original sin or mortal sin; but against those defects by which a man is spiritually weakened and is deprived of perfect strength for acts of life, grace, and glory; and this defect is nothing but a certain debility and unfitness (ineptitudo) left in us by original or actual sin; and it is against this weakness that man is strengthened by this sacrament. But inasmuch as this strength is given by grace which suffers not the presence of sin, therefore if [the sacrament] finds any mortal or venial sin in the soul, it removes the guilt (culpa) of the sin, provided that the recipient places no obstacle in the way, as already observed in the case of the Eucharist and Confirmation. And therefore James also speaks of the remission of sin conditionally, saying, ‘If he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him;’ that is to say, as regards guilt; for [the sacrament] does not always blot out sin, because it does not always find it present; but it always remits sin so far as regards the weakness aforesaid, which is called the remains of sin” (Suppl., q. 30, a. 1). See also Bellarmine, De Extr. Unct., c. 8; Suarez, Disp., xli.
On the whole of this chapter, see St. Thomas, Supp. xxix.–xxxiii.; Chardon, Hist. des Sacrements; De Augustinis, De Re Sacramentaria, lib. iii.; Turmel, Hist. de la Théologie Positive, pp. 154, 340, 463; Billot, De Ecclesiæ Sacramentis, tom. ii.; Ballerini, Opus Theologicum Morale, vol. v.
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