Case XVIII: Means by Which to Induce Those Seriously Sick to Receive the Sacraments

Especially in parts of the country where Catholics are as yet sparsely settled, it often happens that by contact with irreligious people Catholics grow cold in their faith and neglect its practices. If they fall into sickness, such people are not likely to care much for the consolations of the church, and the priest usually meets with a cold reception, if he is called in at all. But even if received in a friendly way, he is likely to meet with a polite refusal as soon as he mentions Confession, etc. What can be done under such conditions to induce Catholics, weak and indifferent in faith, to the reception of the sacraments?

Above all, the worthy, virtuous priest will seek assistance from heaven, and will offer up his pious prayers for divine guidance and help for a task that seems beyond human power. Then he will proceed in confidence, straining at the same time all his faculties of mind to discover the means best suited to the needs of each particular instance. A safe key to the human heart is the genuine priestly love. Diplomacy may often be resorted to with good result. The former general of the Society of Jesus, P. Beckx, accomplished the conversion of an obstinate murderer, condemned to death, by first playing chess with the man and thus gradually gaining his friendship and confidence. Sick people in general greatly appreciate expressions of courtesy and sympathy; the priest may with advantage facilitate his task by inquiring of children about their sick father and sending him sympathy and good wishes, also paying a preliminary friendly call without mentioning anything about religion, thus gradually getting the patient at ease with the thought of receiving the sacraments. The priest who goes about his task in this manner will have the gratification of greatly lessening in his parish the number of those who die without making their peace with God. A thing of the greatest importance in this connection is that frequent exhortations be made from the pulpit to the people to look out not only for the body, but also for the soul of their sick at home, to send for the priest before the sickness gains too much headway, reminding them of the difference it will make for the peace of those left behind, if they can think of their deceased relatives as having died consoled and fortified by the reception of the sacraments.