In 1972, Pope Paul VI released his Apostolic Constitution “Sacram Unctionem infirmorum” which prescribed that a priest first lay his hands on the head of the sick person in silence, and then anoint his forehead and hands with the blessed Oil of the Infirm: While anointing the forehead, he prays, “Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in His love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit,” and then while anointing the hands, “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.” (The ritual provides that in accord with local custom or culture as well as the condition of the sick person, a priest may anoint other parts of the body, for example the area of pain or injury). If circumstances warrant it, the Sacrament of Penance precedes the anointing, which is then followed by the reception of holy Communion which serves as the “viaticum” for passing over to eternal life. (Please note that only a priest can administer this sacrament.)
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick confers the particular healing gift of the Holy Spirit: Through this grace, the whole person is healed. He is strengthened to face the condition of infirmity or old age with courage and peace of heart, to trust in the will of the Lord, to resist the temptations of the devil, and to overcome anxiety over death. Sins are forgiven and any penance is completed. A person receives the strength to unite himself more closely to the passion of our Lord, atoning for his own sins as well as for those of all of the faithful. This sacrament also prepares us to depart from this life with courage and in the hope of seeing our Lord face to face. Finally, the sacrament may also convey a physical healing in accord with God's will. (C.f. Catechism, No. 1520-23).
Let us pause here to consider two important points, especially in the Timothy McVeigh case. First, if a person is conscious, that person should be encouraged to make a good confession prior to receiving the anointing of the sick. Hopefully, Timothy McVeigh, given that he was about to leave this earth and face judgment, would have been encouraged and would have made a good confession, imploring the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy.
If a person is unconscious, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick does convey forgiveness of sin, but presupposes that the person would have wanted to make a good confession, is sorry for sin and wants forgiveness. If a person — whether conscious or not — has a hardened heart and does not have any sense of repentance or any desire to be forgiven, he impedes the healing graces of the sacrament. God respects the free will of the person. In the case of Timothy McVeigh or anyone, we leave the judgment of the soul to Almighty God.
Moving past the case at hand to other pastoral matters, we must remember that the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is not simply a “Last Rites” sacrament. Anyone who is prudently judged seriously ill should be anointed. A person may be anointed before serious surgery. The elderly may be anointed to help alleviate the burden and anxiety of old age. Those who have lost consciousness or the use of reason should also be anointed if they would have asked for the sacrament if they had been able to do so. Usually, a person only receives the sacrament once during an illness, but may receive it again if his condition deteriorates.
While the sacrament should not be restricted to “point of death” cases alone, we should not trivialize it either. For instance, I remember once a parishioner asked if I would anoint her. Since she looked very well, I asked her if she was going to have surgery. She replied, “No, I am flying on an airplane tomorrow.” After some catechesis on my part, she made a good confession rather than being anointed. (However, given some airlines today, maybe anointing would be appropriate).
Also, one should not wait to the last minute to have a loved one anointed. Once I was called in the middle of the night to anoint a dying person. Afterwards I was talking with the family, and I discovered the person had been in the hospital more than a week. By delaying, the person could have died without the benefit of the sacrament. If a person dies, the priest cannot anoint the dead body from which the soul has already departed; rather, he would offer the prayers for the dead.
In all, Christ has given the Church a beautiful sacrament for the healing of body and soul. We must be mindful of our duty to insure that our loved ones have the benefit of this sacrament, especially as they prepare to leave this life to be joined to our Lord.
(This article courtesy of the Arlington Catholic Herald.)
