§ 1. On The Matter Of Extreme Unction

1874. A twofold matter is distinguished, namely remote and proximate.

I. The REMOTE matter is oil expressed from olives, and blessed by a special blessing by a Bishop.¹

But the choice of this matter was most fitting: "for, as OIL greatly profits for mitigating pains of the body, so the power of the Sacrament diminishes the sadness and pain of the soul. OIL besides restores health, brings cheerfulness, and supplies, as it were, food to light; and then it is most greatly accommodated to restoring the strength of a wearied body. All these things declare what, in the sick person, is effected by divine power through the administration of this Sacrament." - Thus the Roman Catechism.²

We said, 1. IT IS OIL; for it is clear from the words of the Apostle, anointing him with oil; and this oil, by necessity or validity of the Sacrament, must be the juice of the olive; because in common use this juice alone is designated by the name of oil. Hence Eugene IV, in the Decree to the Armenians, expressly names oil of olive. "This oil moreover, at least from the precept of the Church, ought to be simple, that is, without any admixture of another liquid," as Benedict XIV teaches.³

2. BLESSED BY A BISHOP: wherefore Trent (sess. 14, cap. 1) has these words: "For the Church understood that the matter is oil blessed by a Bishop." But whether this blessing is not only of precept, but also of the necessity of the Sacrament, is disputed; but Authors most commonly affirm it with St. Thomas, and today the matter is plainly certain. For to the doubt: whether, with the oil of the sick lacking, it is licit to administer, under condition, the Sacrament of Extreme Unction with oil blessed by a simple priest, at least in a case of extreme necessity, for instance when the dying person, destitute of senses, previously gave no sign of sorrow and does not give it: the response was always Negative. Thus the Holy Office on January 13, 1611, before Paul V, and September 14, 1842, before Gregory XVI.⁴ Nevertheless, the blessing of oil can be committed by the Supreme Pontiff to a simple priest, as is clear from the Decree of Clement VIII,⁵ who (indirectly) declared that the Sacrament of Extreme Unction conferred on Latins by Greek priests, with oil blessed by the same priests, is valid.⁶

3. Blessed BY A SPECIAL BLESSING, i.e. in order to Extreme Unction: for that this is required by necessity of the Sacrament the Salmanticenses with Bellarmine affirm probably, against Suarez and others; because, just as by the blessing of chrism the matter is deputed for the Sacrament of Confirmation, so by the blessing of the oil of the sick the matter is deputed to the Sacrament of Extreme Unction.⁷ Hence, in a case of necessity, the Oil of catechumens or Sacred Chrism can indeed be employed UNDER CONDITION. But when the oil of the sick itself has been found, the anointings must be repeated under condition; and the same must be done if by error the priest had employed those oils.

It is doubted: Whether one single drop of oil suffices for administering the Sacrament? - St. Alphonsus responded: "Only speculatively probable is the opinion saying that it suffices to administer this Sacrament with one drop of oil, without spreading it over parts; not, however, practically, because this would not be a true anointing."⁸ Nevertheless, for the value of the Sacrament, it certainly suffices to dip the extreme part of the finger in oil for the individual anointings which are made under the repeated form.

Note. This oil (as also the oil of catechumens and Sacred Chrism), from the precept of Clement VIII⁹ (which according to the more probable opinion obliges under grave sin), must be renewed yearly; and, the renewal having been made, the oil of the preceding year must be burned (namely in the lamp which burns before the Most Holy Sacrament); nor is it licit to use it any longer, except in the case in which the new cannot be had. - But if the new does not suffice, another, not blessed, can be mixed with it, but in lesser quantity, as the Ritual says. Indeed, it is licit to renew the admixture several times, provided that the oil to be mixed in is always in lesser quantity, and true necessity requires this.¹⁰ - See the rest in the Ritual.

1875. II. The PROXIMATE matter is the anointing of certain parts of the body, and at least of the five senses, made by a priest. - From the Roman Ritual, principally five parts of the body ought to be anointed, namely: 1. the eyes (or eyelids) or eyebrows; - 2. the ears (at the lowest part of the ear, so that it can be wiped more easily); - 3. the nostrils, i.e. both nostrils (outside), or the extremity of the summit of the nose, with one anointing; - 4. the mouth, with the lips compressed so that one anointing can be made (if this could not be obtained, it will be enough that the lower or upper lip be anointed); - 5. the hands (outside for priests, inside for others); - 6. the feet (either on the soles, or above the feet, according as custom bears or diocesan Statutes prescribe, or as it can be done more conveniently).¹¹ Although, however (from the common opinion), this anointing of the feet is not of the necessity of the Sacrament, nevertheless it cannot be omitted at the priest's pleasure.¹² - 7. The reins; whose anointing is not of the necessity of the Sacrament, as is clear from the Roman Ritual, where it is read: "But the anointing of the reins in women, for the sake of modesty, is always omitted; and also in men, when the sick person cannot conveniently be moved. But, whether in women or in men, another part of the body ought not to be anointed for the reins." At Rome it is customary to anoint the reins of men from each side, or at least from one side, upon the bone which they call the ischion (hip): for thus the sick person scarcely needs to be moved. Elsewhere, the anointing of the reins is omitted in all indiscriminately; nevertheless the S. R. C. (August 1, 1858) desires that it be introduced where it is not in use.¹³ Meanwhile, the custom of the diocese is to be observed by the priest.

1876. Questions. Q. 1. In what way ought the anointings to be made?

Resp. 1. From the ROMAN RITUAL, each anointing ought to be made with the thumb dipped in the holy oil, in the manner of a cross, adapting the cross and the words in the anointing of each part, always beginning from the right. "But the minister, if he is in Sacred Orders, or the priest himself, after each anointing, should wipe the places anointed with a new little ball of cotton or of something similar, and should place it in a clean vessel, and afterwards carry it to the church, burn it, and cast the ashes into the Sacrarium."

Resp. 2. It is certain that it is not of the necessity of the Sacrament that the anointings be made through the immediate contact of the hand; wherefore in a case of necessity, i.e. when plague is raging, a little rod anointed with oil can be employed, which afterwards is to be burned.¹⁴ - Nor is it of the necessity of the Sacrament that a double anointing be made in double parts; since the tinder of sins is now sufficiently indicated through the anointing of one part: hence, when necessity urges, or if the sick person cannot be turned to another side, it suffices to anoint one eye, one ear, etc. Nor finally is it essential to observe the order of the RITUAL among the anointings of the parts; since the inversion of order does not impede the signification of the Sacrament. - But, outside the case of necessity, these three things are to be observed under grave sin, as is commonly taught.¹⁵

Q. 2. Whether the anointing OF THE FIVE SENSES is of the necessity of the Sacrament?

Resp. It is controverted. - The first opinion (speculatively probable), with Merbesius, Tournely, etc., denies it; for from St. James a simple anointing is prescribed, and in Trent mention is made of only one anointing by these words: "this sacred anointing"; whence it seems to suffice that a man be anointed in only one part, so that he may be called anointed. But the more common and safer opinion (to be held under grave sin in practice) affirms that the simple anointings of the five senses are of the necessity of the Sacrament. Thus St. Bonaventure, St. Thomas, Suarez, Bellarmine, etc., who gather this chiefly from the use of the Church.¹⁶

Q. 3. Whether and in what way are the BLIND, DEAF, MUTILATED to be anointed?

Resp. "If someone is mutilated in some member, the part nearest to that place is to be anointed, with the same form of words." Thus the Roman Ritual. In the same way, those blind from birth, deaf, and mute are to be anointed, namely near the organs of the senses of which they are deprived; for although they have not sinned exteriorly through them, nevertheless they could have sinned through the interior powers to which those correspond, e.g. through desires of seeing, hearing, etc. Thus D. Thomas and the Salmanticenses with the common opinion.¹⁷