Morals of the Church
Library › Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology › Volume II › Book III. On the Aids of the Christian Life, or on the Sacraments › Treatise VI. On Extreme Unction › Dissertation III. On the Reception of Extreme Unction › Part I. On the Person Receiving

Section — Wouters, Manual of Moral Theology

Scholion. On the Anointing of Baptized Non-Catholics

584.

We speak of baptized non-Catholics who are in good faith, or at least not certainly in bad faith. Now:

I. Outside the danger of death, baptized non-Catholics cannot licitly be anointed, according to what was said in the treatise on Penance (n. 478).

II. In danger of death. We distinguish between non-Catholics who admit Extreme Unction and those who reject it.

  1. Those who admit Extreme Unction, as for example schismatics, can be anointed as follows:

a) If they are already deprived of the senses, scandal having been removed, they can be anointed according to what was set forth in the treatise on Penance (n. 478).

b) If they are not deprived of the senses, in themselves they cannot be anointed; accidentally they seem able to be anointed according as we spoke about the granting of absolution (n. 478).

  1. Those who reject Extreme Unction should not be anointed; nevertheless I would not condemn one who conditionally anoints them, according to what was said in the treatise on Penance (n. 478).

Corollary I. In doubt whether the person to be anointed is baptized, or validly baptized, first he must be baptized or rebaptized conditionally.

Corollary II. Prudence, considering the common good, can readily prohibit a non-Catholic from being anointed. Besides, as we already noted in the treatise on Penance, one who assists a dying non-Catholic should strive to bring him to acts of contrition and charity, so that he may be saved more securely.

Corollary III. Having set forth those things which regard the subject of Extreme Unction, it is useful to state briefly to which dying persons deprived of the senses Extreme Unction can be conferred. Now it can be conferred: 1. on Catholics, even if they have not fulfilled religious duties or have been deprived of the senses in the act of sin; 2. on those whom, after an examination has been made if the occasion allows, you suspect with some probability to be Catholics; 3. on apostates; 4. on heretics who admit Extreme Unction, or have shown an inclination toward the Catholic Church; likewise, others add, on those who do not admit Extreme Unction and have not shown the said inclination, unless, however, prudence prohibits them from being anointed.

From those enumerated, only those are excepted who here and now certainly persevere contumaciously in mortal sin.

Extreme Unction (Anointing of the Sick)The Anointing of Baptized Non-Catholics