The Remote Matter

432. The Valid Remote Matter of extreme unction is oil consecrated by the bishop with a special blessing.

1. Oil by necessity of the sacrament must be from olives; for both by common usage and by the sense of the Church, by the name of oil nothing else is understood except oil of olives. Moreover in the decree of Eugene IV for the Armenians it is expressly said that the matter of this sacrament is olive oil.¹

2. The oil must necessarily be blessed by a bishop. Therefore an anointing conferred with oil blessed by a simple priest without special permission of the holy see, and still more with oil not blessed at all, is of no value.

a. Both the words of Eugene IV and the words of the Council of Trent, by which it is expressly affirmed that the matter is oil blessed by a bishop, exclude every doubt in this question. The Council of Trent moreover adds that the Church learned from apostolic tradition the matter of this sacrament, namely oil blessed by a bishop,² by which words it signifies that this matter was determined by Christ himself. Therefore the Church declared the contrary opinion rash and proximate to error,³ and never permitted, not even in a case of extreme necessity, that, oil blessed by a bishop being lacking, the sacrament of extreme unction be administered with oil blessed by a simple priest who had not been delegated for this.

b. Nevertheless oil blessed by a simple priest from a special delegation of the supreme pontiff can be used; just as in the Greek Church oil blessed by a presbyter is generally used, with permission of the Roman pontiff. The blessing of a bishop is ordinary; that of a delegated priest is extraordinary.⁴

3. In order that the oil certainly be valid matter of this sacrament, it must be blessed by a special blessing, that is, in order to extreme unction; for by this special blessing the matter of this sacrament is constituted. But other oil blessed by a bishop constitutes probably only valid matter.

That by force of precept it must be blessed by a special blessing is clear from the new Code, which in canon 945 cited above says that oil must be blessed by the bishop for this, that is, in order to this sacrament. But the question whether this is required for the value of the sacrament is not solved by these words; therefore the opinion remains only probable that oil must be blessed by a special blessing for the value of the sacrament.

Hence in a case of necessity, oil of the sick being lacking, the sacrament is to be conferred conditionally with another oil blessed by a bishop; but afterward, if oil of the sick can be had, the sacrament is to be repeated conditionally. This must also be done if by error the priest used another oil.

¹ Denzinger-Bannwart, n. 700.

² Sess. 14, c. 1, De extr. unct.

³ Holy Office, January 13, 1611, under Paul V, and September 14, 1842, under Gregory XVI.

⁴ All these things are confirmed by Cn. 945: "The oil of olives to be used in the sacrament of extreme unction must be blessed for this by a bishop, or by a presbyter who has obtained the faculty of blessing it from the Apostolic See."

433. The Licit Remote Matter of this sacrament is oil blessed in the same year by the bishop of the diocese.

1. Blessed in the same year: for according to the Roman Ritual the oil must be renewed each year after the old has been burned, in a lamp burning before the most holy sacrament. This precept indeed seems to be grave. But if new blessed oil cannot be had, it is licit to use old oil.¹

If the oil seems not likely to suffice within the year and no other blessed oil can be had, according to the Ritual another unblessed oil can be mixed with it, but in a lesser quantity; indeed the mixing can be renewed more often, provided that the part of oil mixed in is always less than that part into which it is poured.²

2. By the bishop of the diocese, and when the see is vacant by another neighboring bishop, and indeed on Thursday in the Lord's Supper. Therefore to use oil, without necessity, which was not blessed by one's own ordinary is against the precept of the Church, which seems to some to be grave.³

¹ Cn. 734.

² Rituale rom., tit. 5, c. 1, n. 3; S. C. C., September 25, 1862. Cn. 734, 2.

³ Holy Office, September 14, 1842; January 10, 1850. Cn. 734, 1.

434. The Proximate Matter is the anointing of the sick man with oil blessed by the bishop, as the Apostle has it: anointing him with oil.

The Apostle indeed does not determine the parts of the body which are to be anointed, nor had the Church up to this point defined anything on this matter; but recently, both from the declaration of the holy see¹ and especially from the new Code, it is clear how many anointings are required for the value of the sacrament.²

1. For the value of the sacrament, one anointing on the forehead of the sick man certainly suffices.

It will help to know the arguments of the theologians who tried to demonstrate that one anointing suffices, because they shed much light on the whole question: a. For the essence of this sacrament an anointing of the sick man is required, just as for the essence of baptism a washing of the body is required. But for the value of baptism one washing suffices; therefore by equal reason for the value of extreme unction one anointing suffices. b. That several parts of the body are to be anointed is gathered from the precept of the Church, not from the institution of the sacrament, because sometimes more and sometimes fewer parts, and not always the same parts, are prescribed to be anointed.³ To the argument of those denying it: Anointing signifies the perfect spiritual healing of man; but it does not signify this unless all five senses are anointed, since they are so many origins and roots of sins. To this argument they respond: Since the head is the seat of all faculties, and from the head all the senses, even internal senses, flow, by the anointing of the head or forehead perfect spiritual healing is suitably, not to say more suitably, signified.

2. By precept of the Church five parts of the body must be anointed: the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, and hands.

Concerning the anointing of the loins, although the most recent edition of the Ritual says: the anointing of the loins in women is always omitted for the sake of modesty,⁴ nevertheless the new Code simply decrees: the anointing of the loins is always omitted.⁵ The anointing of the feet can be omitted for any reasonable cause.⁶

Therefore, that the sacrament be administered licitly, the anointing at least of the five senses is necessarily required; namely, the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, and hands are to be anointed. Nevertheless, in a case of necessity, the sacrament can and must be administered with one anointing on some sense, or better on the head, from which the nerves of all the senses descend, and indeed absolutely, because its value is already established.

¹ Holy Office, April 26, 1906; March 9, 1917.

² Cn. 947, 1: In a case of necessity one anointing in one sense, or more correctly on the forehead, suffices.

³ In the Greek Church anciently three parts of the body were anointed: the forehead, chin, and both cheeks; now they anoint the forehead, chin, both cheeks, breast, hands, and feet.

⁴ Tit. V, c. 1, n. 15.

⁵ Cn. 947, 1.

⁶ Cn. 947, 3.

435. How the Anointings Are To Be Made. The anointings must be made: a. with the right thumb; b. in the manner of a cross; c. on both organs, beginning from the right; d. with the order of the senses prescribed in the Ritual observed.

a. Outside a case of grave necessity, the anointings are not to be made either with another finger or with a brush, and a contrary custom, if it flourished anywhere, would have to be removed.¹

Nevertheless, nothing prevents the anointings in a case of necessity, e.g., in time of plague, from being made by means of a brush or little rod, afterward to be burned, because in this sacrament, as in confirmation, imposition of the hand is not required, and therefore neither is immediate anointing by the hand of the minister. Yet according to the judgment of the physicians now living, anointings can always be made with the finger itself without danger of contagion.

b. That the anointing must be made in the form of a cross is not required by the essence of the sacrament, but by precept of the Church; for nowhere, neither in the Council of Florence nor in Trent, is this indicated. Therefore in a case of necessity the anointing can be made also by a simple touch; but without necessity the prescribed mode is not to be omitted.²

c. It is not required by necessity of the sacrament, but only by necessity of precept, binding gravely indeed, that the anointing be made in both organs of a sense, because the whole sense is had in one organ.

d. Likewise only by necessity of precept, and not binding gravely, is it required that the order prescribed in the Ritual be observed among the different senses, and that the anointing begin from the right organ rather than from the left. Finally, those who lack some sense, as the blind from birth, nevertheless are to be anointed in its organs; and those who lack the organ of a sense are to be anointed in the nearer part with the same form of words.

¹ S. C. R., May 9, 1857, n. 3051. Cn. 947, 4.

² Cn. 947, 1: "The anointings are to be performed accurately with the words, order, and mode prescribed in the ritual books." Cf. Rituale rom., tit. V, c. 2, n. 8.

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.

What is the matter of extreme unction? - The remote matter of this sacrament is necessarily olive oil, which must be blessed by a Bishop not only for liceity but also for validity, even when extreme necessity presses. Trent, sess. 14, C. 1; Florence, Decree for the Armenians; S. I. C., Jan. 13, 1665; Sept. 14, 1842; Jan. 10, 1850; May 15, 1878. By a Bishop, namely by the diocesan, or, when the See is vacant, by another neighboring Bishop; on Holy Thursday the oil of the sick, just like the oil of catechumens and chrism, must be renewed each year, though not for the validity of the sacrament, from the precept of Clement VIII and from the Roman Ritual, de Extr. Unct. And this more probably is grave. Nevertheless, if new oil cannot be had, it is licit to use the old. L. 708. It was granted to Latin America by Leo XIII, Constitution Trans oceanum, "that sacred oils even old ones can be used, yet not beyond four years, provided they are not corrupted, and after all diligence has been carried out new or more recent sacred oils cannot be had." But if perhaps within the year the blessed oil seems to be failing, and no other blessed oil can be had, it can be repaired by pouring in a small amount of unblessed oil in lesser quantity. Roman Ritual. And this several times, although in the end the added quantity has been greater than that which was blessed by the Bishop and which was there from the beginning. Blessed; whether it must be blessed in order to extreme unction is disputed. Some probably deny, because the Church requires nothing else except that it be blessed by a Bishop. Others probably affirm, because by a special blessing it must be deputed to the sacrament of extreme unction. Yet in practice the safer opinion is to be held, except in a case of necessity, in which, after another oil of catechumens or chrism has been used, which is used in the sacrament of confirmation and in the ceremonies of baptism, if afterward the oil of the sick can be had, the sacrament is to be repeated. Blessed. A simple priest by concession of the Supreme Pontiff can bless oil of this kind, as is clear from the use of the Greek Church. Benedict XIV, de Syn., l. 8, c. 1, n. 4.

The oil is to be preserved in a clean and decently adorned place, in a silver or tin vessel, Roman Ritual, de Sacr. extr. unct., namely in the church or sacristy, or even at home, if the pastor's house is very distant from the church. S. R. C., Dec. 16, 1826, n. 2650.

The proximate matter is the anointing of five principal parts of the body, namely the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, hands, or, if someone lacks one of them, the part nearest to it, although he has lacked it from birth. But whether all these anointings are necessary by necessity of the sacrament, or whether one alone suffices, with a universal form comprehending all the senses, is disputed, and each opinion is probable; and in practice, outside the case of necessity, one must stand by the opinion affirming the necessity of all. Yet the resolution of the Holy Office about one form, although in a case of necessity, seems to favor one anointing. Cf. 869. Nor indeed is the order among the various anointings of parts necessary for the sacrament; nor, in paired senses, is the anointing of each necessary, but only by precept is it to be observed outside a case of necessity. Besides, unless the usage of the place provides otherwise, the feet and loins are to be anointed, but the loins only of men, provided they can conveniently be moved. In some places the anointing of the loins is omitted in male religious. Where however it is not in use, let it be introduced, if this can be done. S. R. C., Aug. 14, 1858. And it can never be omitted unless in particular cases, with precautions applied, decency cannot otherwise be sufficiently provided for. Holy Office, May 15, 1878. The Greeks anoint the forehead, chin, both cheeks, breast, hands, and feet. - Trent, sess. 14, C. 1, c. 3; Florence, Decree for the Armenians; Roman Ritual, de Sacr. Extr. Unct.; Roman Catechism, n. 5, 10; Benedict XIV, de Syn., l. 8, c. 1, n. 4, c. 3; L. 707, 710, 732; St. Thomas, Suppl., q. 29, a. 4, 6; q. 32, a. 5-7; E. M.

674. Principles. - I. The remote matter is Oil blessed by the Bishop. This is established from the Council of Trent, session 14, On Extreme Unction, chapter 1, where it is thus said: The Church understood the matter (of this Sacrament) to be Oil blessed by the Bishop; for the anointing most aptly represents the grace of the Holy Spirit, by which the soul of the sick person is invisibly anointed.

II. The Oil of Extreme Unction, or of the sick, is to be blessed by the diocesan Bishop, or, when the See is vacant, by another neighboring Bishop, on the Supper of the Lord, just as Chrism is, and is to be renewed every year, though not for the validity of the Sacrament. Thus from the precept of Clement VIII in St. Ligorius, no. 708; and the Salmanticenses, chapter 2, no. 10. This is also established from the perpetual practice of the Church and from the Roman Ritual, On Extreme Unction, where it is said: The holy Oil is to be renewed every year on the Supper of the Lord, the old having been burned.

571. 1. The valid remote matter is: a) olive oil, b) blessed by a bishop, and c) specially blessed as the oil of the sick. The first part of this proposition is certain, the second most probable, the third more true.

a) For St. James said: "Anointing him with oil," and by the usage of the Church olive oil is understood under the name of oil.

b) From the words of the Council of Florence cited above it is evident that the oil is to be blessed by a bishop. This episcopal blessing indeed appears to be necessary for the validity of the sacrament. Therefore the Holy Office declared the contrary opinion rash and proximate to error,¹⁴ and declared oil blessed by a priest to be matter unfit for confecting the sacrament of Extreme Unction. Hence, not even in necessity can a priest administer this sacrament with oil blessed by himself, when it is a question of a dying person deprived of his senses who previously gave no sign of sorrow and consequently could be absolved only very doubtfully. Thus the Holy Office, May 15, 1878.¹⁵

Nevertheless, by delegation of the Supreme Pontiff (whether express or tacit), even a simple priest can bless the oil.¹⁶ Certain missionaries in distant regions obtain the express delegation of the Supreme Pontiff; but all priests of the united Greek rite, who according to the most ancient discipline are accustomed to bless the oil for administering Extreme Unction, have tacit delegation.

c) The oil is not only to be blessed by a bishop, but is also to be blessed specially in order to this sacrament, or as the oil of the sick. Thus the more common and more true opinion.¹⁷ Hence, outside a case of urgent necessity, this sacrament cannot licitly be administered with the oil of catechumens or with chrism, since these are doubtful matter. Cf. above, n. 154, 4.

¹⁴ Holy Office, January 13, 1611, under Paul V (Denz., n. 1628), and September 14, 1842 (Collect. de Prop. Fide, n. 956).

¹⁵ Collect. de Prop. Fide, n. 1494.

¹⁶ Benedict XIV, Bull Etsi pastoralis, May 26, 1742, and De syn. dioec., l. 8, c. 1, n. 4; Code of Canon Law, c. 945.

¹⁷ St. Alphonsus, Theol. mor., l. 6, n. 709; cf. Code of Canon Law, c. 945.

S. Th., Suppl., q. 29, a. 4-9; q. 32, a. 5-7.

692. The remote matter of Extreme Unction is oil blessed by a bishop, as the Council of Florence and the Council of Trent, c. 1, have it.

1. Oil, as is clear from the testimony of James and from tradition and the practice of the Church, and indeed oil of olives, for "oil is not properly said except of olive oil" (a. 4).

St. Thomas shows the fittingness:

"The spiritual healing which is applied at the end must be perfect, because after it no other remains; and gentle, so that hope, which is most necessary to those departing, may not be broken, but fostered. But oil is soothing and penetrative even to the inner parts, and also diffusive. And therefore as to both of the aforesaid things it is fitting matter of this sacrament. And because the liquor of the olive is principally named oil, while other liquors receive the name of oil only from likeness to it, therefore olive oil also must be that which is assumed as the matter of this sacrament" (a. 4).

2. Blessed, of which a threefold reason is assigned:

"The first is because every efficacy of the sacraments descends from Christ. And therefore those sacraments which he himself used have efficacy from his own use; as by the touch of his flesh he conferred regenerating power upon the waters. But he did not use this sacrament, nor any bodily anointing; and therefore in all anointings the sanctification of the matter is required.

"The second is on account of the fullness of grace which is conferred, not only that it may take away fault, but also the remnants of fault and the infirmity of the body.

"The third is from the fact that its bodily effect, namely, bodily healing, is not caused from a natural property of the matter; and therefore it is necessary that this efficacy be given to it through sanctification" (a. 5).

3. By a bishop, so that otherwise the sacrament cannot validly be administered, as the Holy Office says, Jan. 13, 1665, nor in a case of necessity can oil be blessed by a priest, as it has, Sept. 14, 1842. Nevertheless a priest can be specially delegated from apostolic authority to bless oil, even through the mediation of a bishop, as Clement VIII approved for the Greek Church (Aug. 31, 1595), and Benedict XIV confirmed, Const. Etsi pastoralis, May 26, 1742, and now the Code, can. 945.

St. Thomas shows the fittingness, a. 6: The "efficacy of a sacrament is first from Christ, and from him descends to others in order, namely, to the people through the mediation of ministers who dispense the sacraments, and to lower ministers through the mediation of superiors who sanctify the matter. And therefore in all sacraments which need sanctified matter, the first sanctification of the matter is done by a bishop, and the use sometimes by a priest, so that priestly power may be shown to be derived from episcopal power."

4. Indeed, probably, with a special blessing, namely, blessed for this (can. 945).

Yet in a case of necessity, if this special oil is lacking, it is lawful to use another oil, but one blessed by a bishop, such as the oil of catechumens or sacred chrism; but under condition.

693. The proximate matter is the anointing of the body of the sick person made with blessed oil. One anointing on the head or another principal part suffices for the essence of the sacrament and for validity, at least if the words of the form are general and not restricted to one or another bodily sense, as is now certain from can. 947; it is also implied by James, who requires only the presbyters anointing the sick man with oil; and it is clear from history, since in various times and in various regions there has been very great diversity concerning the number or place in the anointings. Yet other anointings, which in diverse rituals are prescribed for diverse Churches, pertain to the integrity of the sacrament and to the fuller signification of the sacramental sign.

1. Many also invoke the response of the Holy Office, Apr. 25, 1906: "in a case of necessity the form suffices: Through this holy anointing may the Lord forgive you whatever you have sinned. Amen." But the response is directly about the form: the aforesaid suffices, and it is not necessary to add: through the senses, or through sight... enumerating the individual senses; - it is not about the matter. Namely, in a case of necessity in which there is only time for making one anointing, the form stated is declared to be the one to be used. But it was not yet said that one anointing certainly sufficed for validity.

In the Latin Church anointings are made on the exterior senses, the fittingness of which St. Thomas shows, q. 32, a. 5 and 6:

"This sacrament is exhibited by way of healing. But bodily healing need not be made by medicine applied to the whole body, but to those parts where the root of the disease is. And therefore also sacramental anointing must be made only on those parts in which there is the root of spiritual infirmity... The principles of sinning in us are three: the first is directing, namely, the cognitive power; the second is commanding, namely, the appetitive power; the third is executing, namely, the motive power. But all our knowledge takes its origin from sense. And because where the first origin of sin is in us, there medicine must be applied, therefore the places of the five senses are anointed, namely: the eyes on account of sight, the ears on account of hearing, the nostrils on account of smell, the mouth on account of taste, the hands on account of touch, which flourishes especially in the tips of the fingers; and on account of the appetitive power the loins are anointed by some, but the feet are anointed on account of the motive power, of which they are the more principal instrument. And because the first principle of human operation is cognitive, therefore that anointing which is made at the five senses is observed by all, as if of the necessity of the sacrament; but some observe other anointings, while others observe that which is made at the feet, and not that at the loins, because the appetitive and motive powers are secondary principles."

In practice: 1) In a case of necessity let there be made "a single anointing in one sense, or more correctly on the forehead, with the prescribed shorter form" (can. 947); a case of necessity can be either on the part of the sick person because of death altogether imminent, or on the part of the minister because of danger of contagion, or from lack of time because of a multitude of sick persons, or on the part of the sacrament because of danger of profanation.

2. Nevertheless, if it is possible, the other anointings must be added under grave obligation, because they pertain to the integrity of the sacrament, and indeed absolutely, not under condition (Holy Office, Mar. 9, 1917); whence in can. 947 it is added: "with the obligation remaining of supplying the individual anointings when the danger has ceased," that is, when the reason because of which the sacrament was ministered under the shorter rite has ceased.

3. According to recent prescriptions, "the anointing of the loins is always to be omitted; the anointing of the feet can be omitted for any reasonable cause" (can. 947, § 2 and 3).

1. It should be noted that St. Thomas does not affirm that the anointing of the five senses is necessary, but that it is observed as if it were necessary.

4. As to the mutilated, "they must be anointed as near as possible to those parts on which the anointing should have been made; because although they do not have the members, nevertheless they have the powers of the soul, which are owed to those members, at least in their root, and they can sin interiorly through those things which pertain to those parts, although not exteriorly" (q. 32, a. 7). Likewise, if someone lacks the use of a sense, or even has always lacked it, nevertheless he is to be anointed in it.

694. The form is essentially deprecative, as is clear both from the words of James, in which the words: let them pray and prayer, from their native sense and from the context (v. 13 and 16), indicate prayer strictly so called; and from the nature of the sacrament, which seems to be nothing other than the commending of the sick person into the hands of divine mercy (q. 29, a. 8). Hence the form must be deprecative either expressly or at least equivalently, so that if grammatically and materially it is enunciative or imperative, nevertheless from the very tenor of the words, or from added words, or from the circumstances, it is recognized to be formally deprecative as to sense.

At diverse times and in diverse Churches there has been great diversity of forms, and several are found to be enunciative, optative, imperative, or mixed. This is easily understood from the fact that Christ did not wholly determine the sacrament. Hence can. 937: "the sacrament must be conferred through sacred anointings, with oil of olives duly blessed being used, and through the words prescribed in the ritual books approved by the Church."

In the Latin Church, according to the Roman Ritual, tit. 5, c. 1, n. 20, the form now to be used is: Through this holy anointing and his most loving mercy may the Lord forgive you whatever you have sinned through sight (hearing, smell, taste and speech, touch, walking). Amen. Of this St. Thomas says, a. 9:

"It is a fitting form of this sacrament, because a) it touches the sacrament in this, that it says: through this holy anointing; and b) that which works in the sacrament, namely, divine mercy; and c) the effect, namely, the remission of sins."

The shorter form, according to the Ritual, n. 21, to be used in a case of necessity, is: Through this holy anointing may the Lord forgive you whatever you have sinned. Amen. Here these are certainly essential: may the Lord forgive you whatever you have sinned, which indicate the principal effect of the sacrament.

695. Observations on the requisites for liceity. - 1. The oil to be used in the Latin Church must be pure, for, says St. Thomas, "it is not necessary that balsam be placed in the matter of this sacrament, because balsam, on account of odor, pertains to goodness of reputation, which henceforth those departing do not need on account of themselves, but they need only the brightness of conscience, which is signified by oil" (a. 4, ad 1). Nor is wine to be mixed with oil, because "wine heals by biting, but oil by soothing; and therefore healing through wine pertains more to penance than to this sacrament" (ad 2). Formerly, however, in certain Churches a little balsam was mixed with the oil; among certain Orientals there is still in force the use of mixing a little water or wine.

2. The oil must be blessed in the same year; yet in a case of necessity old oil can be used. But if it is foreseen that its quantity will be insufficient, unblessed oil can be added, even repeatedly, but always in a lesser quantity (can. 734 and Rit., tit. 5, c. 1, n. 3).

3. The oil to be used must be sufficient for anointing the sick person; for this, however, a great quantity is not required, because oil of itself is diffusive. Yet oil dripped upon the senses does not suffice, but the sick person is to be anointed. For greater security the thumb is to be dipped in oil for the individual senses.

4. The anointing is to be made with the right thumb, in the manner of a cross, on each organ, beginning from the right; the order prescribed in the Ritual being observed; and the priest should take care not to finish the form before he has anointed both paired members (Rit., n. 18). But on the mouth, or on compressed lips, only one anointing is to be made.

5. Outside a case of necessity, the anointings are to be made by the very hand of the minister, with no instrument used (can. 947, § 4); therefore the use of a brush or a little cloth is prohibited.

6. Even in the Latin Church there can be a legitimate special rite of ministering Extreme Unction. Thus in the Order of Preachers, for anointing a sick brother, as is found in the Processional according to the rite of the said Order.

696. Corollary. - As in the other sacraments, three things can be distinguished in Extreme Unction:

1. The sacrament only, or the external sign which signifies and is not signified, and this is the anointing made with oil duly blessed together with the prescribed words of the form.

2. The reality which does not signify but is only signified, namely, grace itself relieving and strengthening the soul and wiping away the remnants of sins, as will be explained in the following Question.

3. Reality and sacrament, which is signified by the external sign and at the same time signifies grace; and this is, says St. Thomas, "a certain interior devotion, which is a spiritual anointing," q. 30, a. 3, ad 3. These words do not seem to be understood of an act of devotion which is elicited by the sick person, but of the passive devotion by which the sick person is devoted by the minister to the kindness of God, or of the consignation by which he is placed back into the hands of divine mercy. Others, however, understand them of relief itself or strengthening, but this seems to be a mere reality which signifies nothing further; others hold for the strengthening of the body, but this is still less true, because that effect is only secondary and therefore derived from the principal one.

II. QUESTION II. What is the matter of this sacrament? ANSWER. The remote is oil pressed from the berries of olives; the proximate is the use of the same, namely the unction. It is necessary that this oil be blessed by a bishop, as all affirm. Theologians dispute on either side whether this blessing be necessary by the necessity of the sacrament, and not merely of precept. To me it is more probable that the blessing is required by the necessity of the sacrament. By pontifical dispensation, which is not granted save upon urgent necessity, simple presbyters can bless this oil.