Anointing of the Sick, Last Rites, Extreme Unction...Is there a difference?

Anointing of the Sick is the least well-understood of the seven sacraments recognized by the Catholic Church, at least among laypeople. What is it? Is it the same as Extreme Unction? What are Last Rites?

TERMINOLOGY
The best accepted term for this sacrament in English today is Anointing of the Sick. Sometimes it is called Sacrament of the Sick. An older term is Extreme Unction, which comes from Latin and indicates an anointing at the end of life. Today the Church encourages not only the dying, but also those with temporary and non-terminal chronic illnesses to receive the sacrament.

Last Rites refers to a series of sacraments administered to those on the verge of death. These sacraments are Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and Eucharist (called "Viaticum" when given to the dying). Last Rites are often confused with Anointing of the Sick by itself; they can be kept straight by remembering that Last Rites is plural.

ORIGIN
The early Christian Church prayed for its sick members. Oil, brought by the faithful, was blessed by the bishop. Anyone could use or apply the oil in times of sickness.

TIME BRINGS CHANGES
Some centuries later, a rite for the Anointing of the Sick appeared. This rite assumed that the community was gathered and the sick person was generally able to be restored to health. Meanwhile, people began putting off the Sacrament of
Penance until their death bed because it could be received only once.

Therefore they couldn’t receive the Anointing of the Sick until they had confessed and been reconciled to the church. Since both sacraments would therefore often occur at the time of death, the Anointing of the Sick unfortunately became associated with dying. Church teachers who knew only of this practice began to explain the anointing as a preparation for death, rather than a prayer for the sick.

THE RESULT
Even though the official teaching of the Church urged people not to wait until the time of death to receive the anointing, in practice most people did wait. Some families even waited until the dying person was unconscious before calling a priest. What had been a sacrament for the sick became incorrectly known as the “Last Rites” and many of us grew up with images of the priest anointing the dying person, even anointing someone who had died.

TODAY-THE PROPER PRACTICE
Anointing of the Sick is for the seriously sick. A person need not be in danger of dying. The beginning of serious illness while the person is fully conscious before going to the hospital is the best time to request the sacrament. This is especially true today because of the availability of priests.

Waiting until a person is notified by medical personnel that they are within hours or days of death before contacting a priest to administer the sacrament should be avoided, if possible. Unfortunately, today's reality is that finding a priest on short notice can be problematical.

Anointing of the Sick may be repeated during a long illness or as the elderly struggle with the infirmities of age. It can be celebrated with children at least seven years old. The sacrament is a prayer, normally celebrated with sufficient time and suitable surroundings. Parish communal celebrations of this sacrament present an ideal setting. This is especially true as health care moves more to home and local settings and as priests are less available in hospitals.

The purpose of the sacrament is to unite the one who is sick with the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ so the sick may know the healing presence and love of the Lord, be strengthened in faith and experience the support of the Church.There are other prayers and rites available in the official prayers of the Church for those who are sick or near death or who have already died.

There is no absolute nor emergency requirement for this sacrament.


The sacrament is for the living, the church does not permit the anointing to be given to anyone who has already died.

WHO MAY CELEBRATE THESE PRAYERS?
Parish representatives and members of hospital pastoral care departments are properly trained and appointed to provide the prayers and non-sacramental rites for the sick or dying. As in the past, the priest is the proper minister for the sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and Reconciliation.

The priest is to be called when available in any serious moment and especially should the sick desire the sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation. If a priest is not available, please remember that the Anointing of the Sick is not required nor absolutely necessary for a peaceful death. Other pastoral ministers can provide the prayers appropriate at the time of death.