Case LXXX: Extreme Unction Neglected

Case.—Julian, a pastor, discovers in a non-Catholic hospital a dying woman who had been away from the Sacraments for many years. After long persuasion the zealous pastor arouses in her a sense of her pitiable condition. She consents to go to Confession and to receive Viaticum; she refuses, however, to allow the priest to administer the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. She is convinced that she will soon recover from her malady and entertains the notion that the reception of the Sacrament of the dying means the certain and rapid approach of death. Julian is only too glad of the chance to administer to her the other Sacraments, and does not urge very strongly the question of Extreme Unction. He hears her confession and gives her Holy Communion. Upon his return, three days later, he finds that the patient died suddenly the previous night. He is much disturbed over what he terms his neglect of a serious duty, and now seeks advice upon the matter.

Question.—Was Julian to blame?

Solution.—As the law stands, a pastor, or any priest having the care of souls, is obliged by his very office, and under the penalty of mortal sin, to administer this Sacrament to his subjects who may be placed in danger of death. And the law declares emphatically that he must do so even at the risk of his own life when the patient’s salvation depends upon this Sacrament, that is, when this is the only Sacrament that the dying person can receive. The Roman Catechism states expressly that a pastor is guilty of mortal sin if he delays the administration of this efficacious rite until the last hour of the sick person’s life, or until this person’s senses are impaired. In such an event there is a grave injury done to the penitent, who may possibly die without the reception of this Sacrament, as the woman in this case actually did, and who is certainly deprived of its good effects at the very time when these are most needed. But circumstances may minimize, or entirely remove, this obligation of the pastor. He has fulfilled his duty when he has done his best to persuade the dying person to receive this Sacrament, which he stands ready to administer if the one in need of it will consent to receive it. Thus it can be affirmed that Julian has not been lacking in the discharge of his duty. He did all that he was obliged to do. Had he done more, that is, had he insisted on the administration of Extreme Unction, in all probability he would have lost the opportunity afforded him of saving a soul through the effects of Penance and Viaticum. The danger of such an alternative, which in this case was a real danger, warranted him in moderating his insistence. Moreover, the hospital authorities might have taken the stand that his action was interfering with the well-being of their patient, and likely to frustrate their efforts for her recovery. Then he would have been denied admittance to the needy soul. The responsibility, therefore, rested not with the pastor but with the sick woman. We can not say that she committed sin in refusing to receive this Sacrament. Her motives did not involve any scandal or contempt. She did receive the Sacraments necessary for her salvation. This one would have been extremely useful to her, but was in no sense necessary. So she was not obliged to receive it, certainly not under pain of mortal sin. Very many people wish to defer the reception of this Sacrament, not because they believe it will hasten their death (such belief would be sinful), but because, not being properly instructed in the knowledge of its effects, they have accustomed themselves to the opinion that its reception means that all hope of recovery must be abandoned. Of course we know that such a state of mind is based on ignorance. This undoubtedly was the position assumed by the dying woman, and hence it is evident what little hope of success awaited Julian in his attempts to persuade her to have recourse to this Divine aid. He pursued the proper course when he followed his determination to administer Penance and Viaticum, and to await a more favorable opportunity for the renewal of his entreaties in behalf of Extreme Unction. He has no reason to be disturbed.