Section I. On the Remote Matter

I. For validity, so that it be indubitable here, there is required: 1. olive oil; 2. blessed either by a Bishop or by a presbyter who has obtained delegated faculty to bless it; and this 3. with the special blessing of the oil of the sick. From the preceding, olive oil and a blessing performed by a Bishop or by a delegated presbyter are certainly required; the special blessing is probably required.

1. Olive oil is certainly required. This is clear: 1. from the words of St. James: "anointing him with oil."¹ But oil spoken of simply is olive oil. 2. From the Council of Florence.² 3. From the consensus and practice of the Eastern and Western Church (St. Alphonsus, VI, 709; cf. canons 937 and 945).

2. A blessing performed either by a Bishop or by a presbyter who has obtained delegated faculty to bless the oil is certainly required; in other words, a blessing performed by a simple priest who has not been delegated is not sufficient. This is clear from the response of the Holy Office, which, with Gregory XVI approving, responded to the question whether in a case of necessity a parish priest could use oil blessed by himself for the validity of the sacrament of Extreme Unction: "Negatively, according to the form of the decree of Thursday before the Most Holy Father, January 13, 1611."³ The same Holy Office, on May 15, 1878, declared: "Oil blessed by a presbyter who has not been furnished with a special faculty by the Holy See is matter wholly unfit for the Sacrament of Extreme Unction, and cannot validly be used even in extreme necessity." This is clear besides from the matters by which it will immediately be proved that, in itself, a blessing made by a Bishop is required, and therefore that a simple priest in himself lacks this faculty and needs delegation (cf. canon 945). Hence, for the sake of completeness, further observe:

a) In itself, a blessing made by a Bishop is required. This is clear 1. from the Council of Trent;⁴ 2. from the Council of Florence;⁵ 3. from the decree of the Holy Office, approved by Paul V.⁶

b) The Supreme Pontiff can confer upon a simple priest the power of consecrating the oil. This is clear from the Decree of Clement VIII, Sanctissimus Dominus;⁷ from the Constitution of Benedict XIV, Etsi pastoralis;⁸ from the declaration of the Holy Office cited above;⁹ from canon 945; and from the fact that priests of the Eastern Church and the Italo-Greeks enjoy and use this faculty.¹⁰

c) It is doubtful whether even a Bishop, in himself, that is, without delegation of the Supreme Pontiff, can confer upon a simple priest the faculty of consecrating the oil.

3. It is altogether doubtful whether for validity the special blessing is required, or whether the blessing by which the chrism of Confirmation or the oil of catechumens is consecrated is sufficient (cf. canon 945). Hence in a case of necessity the sick person can, or even must, be anointed, conditionally of course, with the chrism of Confirmation or with the oil of catechumens. If afterwards the oil of the sick can be had, the sacrament should be repeated conditionally (St. Alphonsus, VI, 709, dub. 2).

¹ James 5:14.

² Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 700.

³ September 14, 1842 (Collectio de Propaganda Fide, n. 956).

⁴ Session 14, De sacramento extremae unctionis, cap. 1.

⁵ Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 700.

⁶ January 13, 1611 (Collectio de Propaganda Fide, n. 956, note).

⁷ August 31, 1595.

⁸ May 26, 1742, § 4.

⁹ May 15, 1878.

¹⁰ Cf. Kern, op. cit., p. 124 sq.

II. For liceity there is required: 1. that matter certainly valid be used; 2. that the oil have been blessed on the Lord's Supper, on the most recent Thursday before Easter (canon 734, § 1).¹ "Therefore let the parish priest," says the Roman Ritual,² "have the sacred Oil of the sick, which each year, on Thursday in the Lord's Supper, blessed by the Bishop, is to be renewed, the old having been burned; nor should the old be used unless necessity urges" (cf. the cited canon). If the blessed oil seems insufficient, "other unblessed olive oil should be added, even repeatedly, but in a smaller quantity" (canon 734, § 1).³ Thus the admixture can be made several times, even if finally the quantity of unblessed oil is greater, provided that in each admixture it is smaller.⁴ Nevertheless, on Thursday in the Lord's Supper it is not permitted to bless part of the Holy Oils in order at once to mix that part with unblessed oils.⁵ Besides, note:

a) Old oils are not to be used unless necessity urges (canon 734, § 1).

b) The parish priest must request the holy oils from his Ordinary; and he should carefully keep the oil of the sick in a clean and decently adorned place, in a silver or tin vessel, and should not retain it at home unless because of necessity or another reasonable cause, with the license of the Ordinary having been obtained (canon 946, joined with 735). A reasonable cause is, for example, a greater distance of the parish house from the church.⁶

¹ On Thursday in the Lord's Supper, threefold oil is blessed by the Bishop, namely: 1. the oil of the sick; 2. the oil of catechumens; 3. chrism, which consists of olive oil and balsam. The oil of the sick is marked on the vessel with the letters O. I. or with the letter I alone; the oil of catechumens with the letters O. C. or the letter O alone; chrism with the letters Ch. or the letter C alone.

² Title V, cap. 1, n. 3.

³ Roman Ritual, loc. cit.

⁴ Pius VI, April 1, 1794; Sacred Congregation of the Council, September 25, 1862.

⁵ Sacred Congregation of Rites, December 7, 1744, n. 2883; January 28, 1910 (A.A.S. 1910, p. 118).

⁶ Sacred Congregation of Rites, Decreta authentica, n. 2650, to the third factual case; 3276, ad 5; 3739, ad 2; 3779, ad 7.