Question Three: On the Minister of Extreme Unction

S. Th., Suppl., q. 31; Gent. c. IV, 73.

700. The minister of Extreme Unction who validly confers it is every and only priest (can. 938, § 1). - It is of faith from the Council of Trent, sess. 14 on Extreme Unction, c. 1 and can. 4, confirming the doctrine of the Council of Florence to the Armenians. It is clear from the testimony of St. James, from the understanding of tradition and the practice of the Church, and from the nature of the sacrament, which is the complement of Penance.

Hence: 1) It is validly conferred by an excommunicated or heretical priest, provided he has the intention of confecting the sacrament or of doing what the Church does.

2. It cannot be validly conferred by a deacon, as Launoy said, nor a fortiori by a layman; and if laymen have sometimes used the oil of the sick, this can be considered as a certain sacramental.

3. It can be conferred by one priest, as is the custom of the Latin Church, nor does James require several, but he said presbyters in the plural to indicate the order of presbyters or some one of the presbyters; nevertheless it can be conferred by several simultaneously, in such a way that each one anoints diverse senses and each pronounces the corresponding form, or in such a way that all together make all the anointings and say the forms. In the Eastern Church it is customarily conferred by seven presbyters, or by three, and when these are lacking, even by one.

4. Nevertheless a priest cannot confer the sacrament upon himself, as Clericatus used to say (S. C. P. F., Mar. 23, 1844), which is contrary to the sense of the form and contrary to the text of James: let them pray over him.

5. But if during the administration the priest should fail, another ought to supply the anointings not yet made, provided at least that the distance is not too great and moral union is not lacking. But if the prior administration were doubtfully valid, it would first have to be repeated under condition, and then the rest added.

St. Thomas hands down the doctrine compendiously: "Those things in which grace illuminating the mind is conferred pertain to priests alone to exhibit, whose order is illuminative... A deacon, he had said previously in Suppl., q. 31, a. 2, has only purgative power, not illuminative; whence, since illumination is made through grace, a deacon cannot give from office any sacrament in which grace is conferred; and therefore neither this one, since in it grace is conferred... Nor is a bishop required for this, since through this sacrament excellence of state is not conferred, as in those of which a bishop is the minister. Yet because this sacrament has the effect of perfect healing, and in it abundance of grace is required, it belongs to this sacrament that many priests be present and that the prayer of the whole Church assist toward the effect of this sacrament; whence James says: Let him bring in the presbyters of the Church... and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man. Yet if one priest alone is present, he is understood to perfect this sacrament in the power of the whole Church, of which he exists as minister and whose person he bears," c. G. IV, 73.

701. The legitimate ordinary minister for licit administration is the pastor of the place in which the sick person dwells (can. 938), or he who is in the place of the pastor. - For it pertains to the shepherd to feed the faithful with the spiritual food of the sacraments.

Hence: 1) Outside a case of necessity it is illicit to minister the sacrament without the permission of the pastor, at least reasonably presumed, which furthermore cannot be presumed everywhere nor always. It is a sin grave from its kind, because it is to usurp another's jurisdiction.

2. Yet in a case of necessity another priest can minister, as if the pastor at the article of death cannot or will not minister.

3. From the right of the pastor there are exempted a bishop according to can. 397, n. 3, and religious according to can. 514, § 1-3.

702. The obligation of ministering Extreme Unction can arise from justice or from charity.

I. From justice, under grave obligation, the ordinary minister is bound, by himself or through another, to minister this sacrament to those expressly or equivalently asking for it, and diligently to take care that the sick receive it in due time, while they are fully in possession of themselves, by warning those who are negligent. Thus the Ritual, t. 5, c. 1, n. 1 and 7, and c. 4, n. 10; can. 939 and 944.

For although the sacrament is not necessary, it is nevertheless most useful; but it belongs to a good shepherd to provide for his sheep not only the necessary things, but also things very useful for salvation; hence:

1. The pastor sins gravely if from notable negligence on his part the sick person is exposed to the danger of departing without this sacrament.

2. Nevertheless he is not bound to minister it with special danger of life, unless it were a necessary sacrament or one more certainly valid, as it can be for one destitute of the senses (n. 86).

II. From charity, when the pastor is lacking, other priests are bound to minister this sacrament (can. 939); nevertheless this obligation is not grave, unless grave necessity of the sick person urges and they can minister it without great inconvenience.

But in a case in which the sacrament would be altogether necessary for someone in extreme spiritual necessity, it would bind even with danger of life (n. 87).

703. Observation. - The minister, outside a case of most urgent necessity, is bound by a grave precept of the Church to observe the whole prescribed rite; otherwise, if time is available, omitted things are to be supplied. It would be grave to omit all the preceding prayers, to diminish the number of anointings, or to minister without any sacred vestment.

On the contrary, it is light to omit the surplice or the stole unless there is a reason excusing; likewise to minister without a server, to omit crosses in anointing, or to invert the order of the anointings.

The recitation of the penitential Psalms and of the Litanies by those standing by is not of precept, and commonly is customarily omitted.

According to present-day discipline, Viaticum is regularly to be ministered before Extreme Unction, but for a just reason the order can be inverted.