Article I. On the Matter of This Sacrament

1501. Principles. - I. The remote matter is Oil blessed by a Bishop. It is established from the Council of Trent.²

II. The Oil of Extreme Unction, or of the sick, is to be blessed by the diocesan Bishop, or, the See being vacant, by another neighboring Bishop, on the Supper of the Lord, just as Chrism is, and is to be renewed every year, not however for the validity of the Sacrament. Thus from the precept of Clement VIII.³ It is established also from the perpetual practice of the Church, and from the Roman Ritual concerning Extreme Unction.

III. The proximate matter is the anointing of certain parts of the body, which are, at least from the precept of the Church, the five senses. For anointing of the reins is not of the necessity of the Sacrament, but, if circumstances permit, where it is not in custom, it is to be introduced.⁴ The same is commonly asserted concerning the anointing of the feet;⁵ nevertheless the priest cannot omit this anointing at will, and it ought to be made either on the soles or above the feet, according as either custom bears, or diocesan statutes prescribe, or it can be done more conveniently. Therefore anointing is to be made: 1° on the eyes, or on the eyebrows or eyelids; 2° on the ears, i.e. on the lower part of the ear; 3° on the nostrils, i.e. upon the extremity of the summit of the nose, and with only one anointing, because, although strictly speaking a double organ is spoken of, nevertheless with one anointing made on the summit both are anointed at the same time: this can be deduced from rituals which, when they speak of a double organ, do not make mention of the nostrils; 4° on the mouth, the lips being pressed together; but if the sick person did not hear, or could not press the lips together without inconvenience, lest breathing be shut off, it will suffice to anoint either lip; 5° on the hands, above for priests, within, or on the palms, for others.

Notes near n. 1501, matter of Extreme Unction (printed p. 197; right-column note sequence continued).

2 Sess. 14. de Extr. Unct. c. 1. | 3 L. VI. 708. | 4 Collect. p. 322. n. 677. | 5 L. VI. 710 and Rit. Rom.

1502. Questions. - Quaer. 1° Whether the precept of renewing the Oil obliges under grave?

Resp. Affirmatively, more probably, because the matter appears sufficiently grave. Nevertheless, if new Oil cannot be had, it is lawful to use the old.

But if perhaps within the year the blessed Oil is going to fail, and no other can be had, another Oil not blessed can be poured into the blessed Oil which remains, in lesser quantity however. - Roman Ritual. And this can be done several times, although gradually even a much greater quantity is added than was consecrated by the Bishop at the beginning, provided nevertheless that in each mixture it is less than the other part into which it is poured.

Quaer. 2° Whether the Oil must necessarily be of olives?

Resp. Affirmatively. The reason is 1° because by the name of oil, from common usage, Oil of olives is properly understood. 2° It is established besides from the Decree of Eugene IV for the Armenians, in which concerning Extreme Unction it is read: its matter is Oil of olives. 3° It is clear also from the whole tradition and the unanimous consensus of Doctors.

Quaer. 3° Whether this Oil must necessarily be blessed by a Bishop?

Resp. Affirmatively, yet in such a way that from Pontifical delegation it can also be blessed by a simple priest. It is established from various Declarations of Paul V, and most recently of Gregory XVI, on September 14, 1842, and from Benedict XIV.

Quaer. 4° Whether the Oil must be blessed in order to Extreme Unction?

Resp. It is disputed. There is a twofold probable opinion, says St. Alphonsus. Some deny, because the Church requires nothing else except that the Oil be blessed by a Bishop. Hence, they say, the Oil of catechumens and Chrism can validly be employed for making anointings. But others affirm, because, just as Chrism is deputed by its own blessing for Confirmation, so also the Oil of the sick for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. In practice the safer opinion must altogether be followed, except in a case of necessity, in which this Sacrament is to be administered under condition with another blessed Oil, and afterward, if the Oil of the sick can be had, it is to be repeated.

I said: with another blessed Oil; for a threefold holy Oil is distinguished, which in the same ceremony on Thursday in the Supper of the Lord is blessed by the Bishop, namely the Oil of the sick, the Oil of catechumens, and holy Chrism, or Oil mixed with balsam. 1° The Oil of the sick serves only for anointing the sick in danger of death, and for the consecration of bells for the external anointing; for for the internal [anointing] Chrism is employed. 2° The Oil of catechumens is deputed for anointing catechumens before Baptism on the breast and between the shoulders, for consecrating the hands of newly ordained priests, and also for some other consecrations, for example of kings, etc. 3° But Chrism is employed in the Sacrament of Confirmation, in the ceremonies of Baptism after the Sacrament has already been conferred, and for other consecrations, for example of chalice, paten, ciborium, altar, bell internally, etc. - See the Roman Pontifical, especially where it treats of the ceremonies of Thursday in the Supper of the Lord.

Quaer. 5° Whether the anointing of the five senses is of the necessity of the Sacrament?

Resp. The safer affirmative must be held with the more common opinion of Theologians, to which the practice of the Church is consonant; and this practice, excluding a case of necessity, in which under condition one anointing can be employed, more advisedly on the head, under the form described n. 1504. q. 3°, must always be observed. Yet the negative opinion is said by St. Alphonsus to be speculatively probable.

Quaer. 6° Whether a double anointing on double parts is required by the necessity of the Sacrament, for example on each eye, each ear, etc.?

Resp. Negatively, because the whole sense is had in one part. Outside a case of necessity, nevertheless, the double anointing is to be observed under grave.

Quaer. 7° How ought the anointings be made?

Resp. The anointings ought to be made with the right thumb of the priest, who anoints the sick person in the manner of a Cross. Thus from the Roman Ritual. But these things pertain to liceity, not however to validity. But in double members the beginning is from the right, for example from the right eye, etc. - Roman Ritual.

Quaer. 8° Whether by necessity of the Sacrament the order among the anointings of the various senses is to be observed?

Resp. Negatively. The reason is that an inversion of this kind in no way impedes the signification of the Sacrament. Nevertheless they commonly say that such an inversion is gravely illicit, because it is against the use of the Church in a notable matter.

Quaer. 9° Whether Extreme Unction can be conferred on those mute, deaf, and blind from birth?

Resp. Affirmatively; for they can be anointed near the organs of the senses which they lack: for, even if exteriorly they have not sinned through those, nevertheless through the interior powers of the soul, to which those correspond, they could have sinned. Moreover there is question not only of those sins which perhaps were committed through those organs and the corresponding powers.

Quaer. 10° How is a sick person who is deprived of a hand or foot to be anointed?

Resp. The anointing is to be made on the part nearer to the mutilated member. It is established from the Roman Ritual.

Quaer. 11° Whether one drop alone of oil suffices for making the anointings?

Resp. Affirmatively, probably. The reason is that he who anoints with one drop of oil truly anoints; for Oil is diffused more than other liquids. - Thus St. Alphonsus speculatively, and others more commonly. - But some deny; because to anoint is to diffuse Oil through various parts, which is not done by a single drop of Oil. But it is answered that Oil is diffused through various parts when the five senses are anointed, even if the same drop is employed. In practice nevertheless the second opinion, as not improbable, at least extrinsically, is to be followed; but certainly for the value of the Sacrament it suffices to dip the extreme part of the finger in the Oil for the individual special anointings, which are made under the repeated form.

Quaer. 12° Whether in time of plague, or of some contagious disease, it is lawful to perform the sacred anointings by means of a little brush?

Resp. Affirmatively. Collect. p. 322. n. 679.