To n. 649. - Appendix XIV. Historical-Liturgical Matters Concerning Extreme Unction

I. Evolution. In the first centuries, from the Apostle James himself (Epist. cath., V, 14 s.), of whose words Trent gave us the authentic interpretation, we have these things, and these alone: If a believer is sick, let the presbyters of the Church be called, who are to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And if he is in sins, they shall be remitted to him; by which words sacramental grace is indicated. Then an insinuation concerning Extreme Unction occurs in Origen (In Lev., Homil. II, 4, P. G., XII, 418-422) and St. John Chrysostom, De sacerdotio, II, 6, P. G., XLVIII, 644. In the first years of the fourth century the Euchologium of Bishop Serapion of Thmuis brings us the text of prayers over the oil of the sick, or over bread and water; and a more ancient document is had in the so-called Testamentum Domini (I, 24).

If the priest consecrates oil for the healing of those who suffer, placing before the altar that vessel (containing oil), let him say thus in a low voice: "Lord God, who hast granted to us the Paraclete Spirit, the Lord, the saving name, the immovable (Spirit), who is hidden from the foolish but is revealed to the wise; Christ, who dost sanctify us, who by thy mercy hast made wise thy servants, whom thou hast chosen by that wisdom of thine; who hast sent to us sinners the knowledge of thy Spirit; who art the healer of every disease and passion; who hast given the charisma of healing to those who through thee have been made worthy of that gift, send upon this oil, which is the type of thy richness, the complement of thy beneficent compassion, that it may free those who labor, heal the sick, and sanctify those who return, when they come to thy faith: since thou art mighty and glorious unto the ages of ages." The people: "Amen" (Testamentum Domini, ed. Rahmani, Moguntiae, 1899, p. 49. On the consecration of the oil of the sick).

The first explicit testimony, however, is offered to us by Innocent I, in his celebrated epistle to Bishop Decentius (416), in which he hands down the Roman custom in these words: "Certainly, since on this matter, as on the others, thy charity wished to consult, my son Celestine the deacon also added in his letter that this was placed by thy charity, which is written in the epistle of the blessed Apostle James: If anyone among you is sick, let him call the presbyters, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sin, it shall be remitted to him. This without doubt ought to be received or understood concerning the sick faithful, who can be anointed with the holy oil of chrism, which, confected by the bishop, it is permitted not only to priests, but also to all Christians to use, for anointing in their own necessity or in that of their own. For the rest, we see that this was superfluously added, that there should be doubt concerning the bishop, since there is no doubt that it is permitted to presbyters. For therefore it was said to presbyters, because bishops, impeded by other occupations, cannot go to all the sick. For the rest, if a bishop either can, or judges someone worthy to be visited by himself, he can without hesitation both bless and touch with chrism, since it belongs to him to confect chrism. For this cannot be poured upon penitents, because it is a kind of sacrament. For to those to whom the remaining sacraments are denied, how is one kind thought able to be conceded?" In this text, observe that the confection of the oil is reserved to bishops; that its ministration pertains to bishops and to presbyters, yet in such a way that the faithful seem somehow to be able to supply for them; but that Extreme Unction cannot be ministered to penitents before their reconciliation, since they are excluded from the sacraments.

While that use of holy oil by the faithful themselves is insinuated, not for that reason is that use declared sacramental, just as confession made to laymen was not a part of the sacrament of penance. On this question cf. Boudinhon, Revue du clergé français, 1911, t. 68, p. 722 ff.

The Mozarabic Ritual, which R. D. P. Ferotin judges to have been composed before the barbarian invasions, treats of Extreme Unction. In the Gelasian Sacramentary (sixth or seventh century) the formula for blessing the oil of the sick is repeated (Thursday in the Supper of the Lord), with four prayers over the sick man (ed. Wilson, London 1915, p. 30 and 281). Similar things are set forth in the Gregorian Sacramentary (ed. Wilson, p. 44 and 206 ff.). Finally, thirty-three Orders of the ninth and tenth centuries (made public by Martène, De antiquis Eccl. ritibus, l. I, c. 7, art. 4) set before us the ceremonies then in use, of which a great part, as is very likely, reflects more ancient usages, while other parts are still in use. For in these is found: a) the blessing of the place where the sick man lies; b) confession and, if there is need, reconciliation of the penitent; c) unction and joined viaticum; d) the final blessing.

a) The present blessing of the room consists merely of the salutation "Peace be to this house," sprinkling with lustral water, and three prayers. Formerly it was often done with a more solemn apparatus. Water and incense were brought from the church. During the sprinkling the Miserere was sung. From many prayers there is already had the prayer Introeat and "Lord God, who through the apostle," which is now recited after the unctions.

b) The sick man, if he wishes, today confesses after the Asperges and the blessing of the room. And the Confiteor is always recited with absolution. Ancient Orders of the ninth or tenth century report to us a dialogue between the sick man and the priest. Thus has Order I (Martène, p. 302): "Why have you called us, brother? - That you may deign to give me unction. - First prepare yourself for pure confession; afterward you will receive holy unction." There follows a prayer said by the minister and confession. To confession, in the Middle Ages, was often joined the recitation of the seven penitential psalms, the recitation of which during the unctions is still commended by the Roman Ritual to those present. There were proper antiphons; the litanies of all the saints were said, sometimes with special petitions for the sick man. The ceremony had its end with long prayers for him.

c) Unctions. There was a great diversity of unctions, as also of the formulas which were recited at the same time. Order XVI (Martène, pp. 342, 325) mentions unctions on the head, on the eyes, on the nostrils, on the lips, on the throat, on the breast, on the shoulders, on the hands, on the feet, on the place "where the pain is more imminent," and "at all the joints of the members." All the formulas begin in the same way: "I anoint thee," "I inunct thee." Order II mentions fifteen unctions and adds: "But by this number of fifteen we make crosses of holy oil over the sick man" (Martène, p. 303).

In his work on Extreme Unction, P. Kern distinguishes five classes of formulas: prayers, optative forms, indicative forms, imperative forms, and mixed forms. The present form, which is optative, occurs from the ninth century, but only in the sixteenth century does it become of general use.

d) Final blessing: Order IV (Martène, p. 106) reports about fifteen prayers which the priest recites after he has anointed and communicated the sick man. Several begin from the words: "May God bless thee..." And already several Orders mention the use noted in the Roman Ritual of handing a cross to the sick man at the beginning of the ceremony, and of leaving him the cross, if he has none.

Often, in the Middle Ages, Mass for the sick man was said immediately after the unction. In the sixteenth century the Roman Ritual was stably constituted.

II. Principal names of Extreme Unction. In the Latin Church, in the fifth century, in the cited place of Innocent I is found "holy oil of chrism"; in the eighth and ninth centuries, "Unction of the sick," "sacred oil." "Extreme Unction" first occurs in a doubtful text of the first part of the seventh century, in the fifth statute which is ascribed to St. Sonnatius of Reims (600-631) (P. L., LXXX, 445). The name is propagated especially from the twelfth century because of the authority of the School. The Greeks principally call this sacrament the Oil of prayer, Euchélaion (Εὐχέλαιον), which name is already read in the sixth century.

E. DE M., S.I.