Part IV. On the Necessity of Extreme Unction

I. Necessity of means must be denied, both because of canon 944, which denies it, and because of the reasons for which we denied the necessity of means of Confirmation (n. 116).

II. Necessity of precept. 1. There is an obligation of receiving Extreme Unction. This is deduced first from canon 944: "It is lawful for no one ... to neglect it." Then he who neglects a special means, instituted by Christ, by which the sick person is fortified and strengthened in those most serious moments of life on which eternity proximately depends, seems to sin against charity toward himself.¹

2. The obligation is quite probably only light. I understand the obligation in itself, because one who neglects Extreme Unction can accidentally sin gravely, for example by reason of scandal or contempt.² But in itself a grave obligation is quite probably lacking. The reason is that such an obligation is not established either from the nature of this sacrament, "which is not necessary for salvation, but only useful" (St. Alphonsus, VI, 733), or from a positive precept, because it is not clear that the words of St. James, "let him bring in the priests," are to be understood of a precept and not only of counsel; nor from the precept of charity toward oneself, "for charity does not oblige under grave precept to that which is better" (St. Alphonsus, loc. cit.). Finally, the Code does not settle this controversy, neither insofar as it concerns divine law, which it does not intend to interpret,³ nor insofar as the ecclesiastical Legislator imposes a grave precept in canon 944. If he had intended that, he would certainly have used clearer and weightier words.

Objection. The Council of Trent declares: "Now, as regards the prescription of those who ought both to receive and to minister this sacrament," etc.

Response. The Council does not intend to urge the obligation of reception, but rather to signify to whom the reception and to whom the ministration of the sacrament belongs.

¹ Cf. Council of Trent, session 14, De sacramento extremae unctionis, at the beginning and cap. 2.

² Cf. Council of Trent, loc. cit., cap. 3.

³ Cf. Preface.