Dear Catholic Exchange:
Can a lay Catholic anoint a fellow Catholic with holy oil or is this a function of the priest only?
Les Handlin
Dear Les,
Peace in Christ!
That depends on what is meant by “anoint.” If the sacrament of anointing is meant, or the anointing that takes place the sacraments of baptism and ordination, only an ordained minister may anoint. These acts signify the apostolic authority of the bishop, which is represented in those ordained ministers who participate in his ministry throughout the diocese.
Lay people are permitted to use oils as sacramentals, but they should in no way blur the distinction between such acts and those reserved to the ordained ministry.
The latest Church document that addresses this question is Some Questions Regarding Collaboration of the Non-Ordained Faithful in Priest’s Sacred Ministry (eight Vatican congregations and other agencies, 1997). This document says:
In using sacramentals, the non-ordained faithful should ensure that these are in no way regarded as sacraments whose administration is proper and exclusive to the Bishop and to the priest. Since they are not priests, in no instance may the non-ordained perform anointings either with the Oil of the Sick or any other oil.
Because anointing with oil is associated with the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, confusion can and too often does occur when it is done by the laity, especially when praying for healing. The confusion can occur as to the distinction between the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick and the use of sacramentals and between the ordained and non-ordained ministries. With concern for the spiritual well-being of the faithful, the Vatican issued this Instruction to Bishops so that such confusion would be addressed at the local level.
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