Chapter III. On the Minister of Extreme Unction

1505. - I. Only a priest is the Minister of this Sacrament. It is established 1° from the words of St. James already cited: Is anyone sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, etc.; 2° from the definition of the Church. Trent.

II. Every priest can validly minister that Sacrament, because the power of validly conferring it belongs to the priest by reason of Order itself. He cannot however licitly minister it, except the Pastor alone.

1506. Questions. - Quaer. 1° Whether any priest can minister this Sacrament from the probably presumed consent of the Pastor?

Resp. Affirmatively, more probably, because it does not seem that one must proceed with so great rigor where there is question of delegation for mere liceity, nor is there any question at all about the value of the Sacrament itself. Nevertheless such delegation is not easily to be presumed.

Yet if the priest to whom the administration of this Sacrament belongs is absent, or does not wish to give it, or is bound by excommunication or suspension, any priest in a case of necessity can administer this Sacrament, indeed from charity he ought to, under grave or light according to the necessity of the sick person or the scandal which would follow from administration denied.

Note. - Although to no presbyter among us is the faculty of ministering this Sacrament accustomed to be denied, nevertheless in its use for the benefit of those who belong to another Congregation, the account of pastoral prudence and also of mutual concord among brother priests must be had, and the statutes of the Ordinary must be observed.

Quaer. 2° Whether it is mortal to omit the prayers prescribed in the Ritual, or to minister without sacred vestments?

Resp. to the 1st. Affirmatively, because the matter is very grave. Except a case of necessity; likewise the Litanies and Penitential Psalms, which are only of counsel.

Resp. to the 2nd. Likewise affirmatively, outside necessity; but in necessity probably negatively. - Thus more commonly.

Quaer. 3° Whether or what kind of obligation there is of ministering Extreme Unction?

Resp. The Pastor, unless some grave cause excuses him, is held by reason of office under mortal to minister it to subjects dangerously sick and asking for it. (Cf. n. 1225.) - Indeed also with danger of life he would be held to minister it in the case in which the sick person had not confessed for a long time, and more probably was in mortal sin, nor, because of the privation of the senses, could absolution have been given to him otherwise than under condition. See n. 1508. q. 7°.

Quaer. 4° Whether or what kind of sin it is to minister Extreme Unction without light?

Resp. It is not to be excused from venial, unless necessity presses, both because of the custom of the Church and because of the reverence due to the Sacrament. - Nevertheless it does not exceed venial, because no grave injury seems to be done to the Sacrament. If a supply of wax is not present, oil or tallow can be employed; but if not even this can be had, let it be administered without light.

Quaer. 5° When the sick person receives both Viaticum and Extreme Unction, which Sacrament ought first to be administered?

Resp. Extreme Unction ought to be administered after the Eucharist, but at most only under venial, from which also a reasonable cause excuses. Thus the Rubric of the Roman Ritual expressly establishes. - In that case the Confiteor must be recited twice.

Quaer. 6° What kind of sin is it to omit the Sign of the Cross in the anointings?

Resp. It is only venial according to the common opinion, because grave matter is not apprehended there; but in necessity there is no sin.

Quaer. 7° Whether or what kind of sin it is to confer this Sacrament without a minister serving, and whether in necessity a woman can be employed?

Resp. to the 1st. It is not mortal to employ no minister, and in necessity, which among us is always or almost always present, there is no sin. - Thus most commonly. Indeed according to several there is probably no sin even outside the case of necessity. But the opposite is said as more probable by St. Alphonsus.

Resp. to the 2nd. A woman is never to be employed for the office of ministering; and, if a cleric or layman cannot easily be found, let the priest alone perform all the ceremonies, and himself respond to the prayers.

Quaer. 8° Whether the article of death can be waited for in order to confer this Sacrament?

Resp. Negatively. Indeed Theologians commonly teach that Pastors sin gravely who defer it until the sick person is deprived of the use of senses and reason, because thus the sick person lacks that richer fruit which he would have perceived if, in possession of reason, he had received the Sacrament; besides, because he is deprived of spiritual strength for resisting the demon, and for bearing the inconveniences of disease; and also because the sick person, if he were in mortal sin and had received the Sacrament while still in possession of reason, would have obtained grace by the aid of attrition, of which otherwise he is deprived; finally, because by virtue of this Sacrament he could have obtained the health of the body, if it had been conferred on him at a suitable time. Hence the Roman Catechism: "They sin most gravely who are accustomed to observe that time for anointing the sick person when, now all hope of health having been lost, he begins to lack life and senses."

Note. - 1° The Oil of the sick must be preserved in the church, as the Roman Ritual prescribes, "except however the case of great distance from the church: in which case let the Rubric concerning honorable, decent, and safe keeping be altogether observed, even at home." Thus the Sacred Congregation of Rites in Ghent, December 16, 1826.

2° "A new little ball of cotton is to be employed in the anointing of the organ of each sense, and afterward it is to be burned, and the ashes are to be thrown into the Sacrarium: which can scarcely be observed accurately by Missionaries."