Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part Two › Section Two › Chapter Two · Article 5 (§§1499–1532)
Paragraphs · 34
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
The Anointing of the Sick
- §1499 — "By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them.vatican.va
Illness in human life
- §1500 — Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude.vatican.va
- §1501 — Illness can lead to anguish, self-absorption, sometimes even despair and revolt against God. It can also make a person more mature, helping him discern in his life what is not essential so that he can turn toward that which is.vatican.va
- §1502 — The man of the Old Testament lives his sickness in the presence of God. It is before God that he laments his illness, and it is of God, Master of life and death, that he implores healing.vatican.va
- §1503 — Christ's compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that "God has visited his people" and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand.vatican.va
- §1504 — Often Jesus asks the sick to believe. He makes use of signs to heal: spittle and the laying on of hands, mud and washing. The sick try to touch him, "for power came forth from him and healed them all."vatican.va
- §1505 — Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but he makes their miseries his own: "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases."vatican.va
- §1506 — Christ invites his disciples to follow him by taking up their cross in their turn. By following him they acquire a new outlook on illness and the sick.vatican.va
- §1507 — The risen Lord renews this mission ("In my name . . ") and confirms it through the signs that the Church performs by invoking his name.vatican.va
- §1508 — The Holy Spirit gives to some a special charism of healing so as to make manifest the power of the grace of the risen Lord.vatican.va
- §1509 — "Heal the sick!" The Church has received this charge from the Lord and strives to carry it out by taking care of the sick as well as by accompanying them with her prayer of intercession.vatican.va
- §1510 — However, the apostolic Church has its own rite for the sick, attested to by St. James: "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders [presbyters] of the Church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of…vatican.va
- §1511 — The Church believes and confesses that among the seven sacraments there is one especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness, the Anointing of the Sick:vatican.va
- §1512 — From ancient times in the liturgical traditions of both East and West, we have testimonies to the practice of anointings of the sick with blessed oil.vatican.va
- §1513 — The Apostolic Constitution Sacram unctionem infirmorum, following upon the Second Vatican Council, established that henceforth, in the Roman Rite, the following be observed:vatican.va
In case of grave illness . . .
- §1514 — The Anointing of the Sick "is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."vatican.va
- §1515 — If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated.vatican.va
- §1516 — Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick. It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this sacrament.vatican.va
III. How is This Sacrament Celebrated?
- §1517 — Like all the sacraments the Anointing of the Sick is a liturgical and communal celebration, whether it takes place in the family home, a hospital or church, for a single sick person or a whole group of sick persons.vatican.va
- §1518 — Word and sacrament form an indivisible whole. the Liturgy of the Word, preceded by an act of repentance, opens the celebration. the words of Christ, the witness of the apostles, awaken the faith of the sick person and of the community to ask the Lord for the strength of his Spirit.vatican.va
- §1519 — The celebration of the sacrament includes the following principal elements: the "priests of the Church" - in silence - lay hands on the sick; they pray over them in the faith of the Church - this is the epiclesis proper to this sacrament; they then anoint them with oil blessed, if possible, by the bishop.vatican.va
IV. The Effects of the Celebration of This Sacrament
- §1520 — A particular gift of the Holy Spirit. the first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age.vatican.va
- §1521 — Union with the passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ's Passion: in a certain way he is consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior's redemptive Passion.vatican.va
- §1522 — An ecclesial grace. the sick who receive this sacrament, "by freely uniting themselves to the passion and death of Christ," "contribute to the good of the People of God."vatican.va
- §1523 — A preparation for the final journey. If the sacrament of anointing of the sick is given to all who suffer from serious illness and infirmity, even more rightly is it given to those at the point of departing this life; so it is also called sacramentum exeuntium (the sacrament of those departing).vatican.va
V. Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian
- §1524 — In addition to the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this life the Eucharist as viaticum. Communion in the body and blood of Christ, received at this moment of "passing over" to the Father, has a particular significance and importance.vatican.va
- §1525 — Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called "the sacraments of Christian initiation," so too it can be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life…vatican.va
In Brief
- §1526 — "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise…vatican.va
- §1527 — The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace on the Christian experiencing the difficulties inherent in the condition of grave illness or old age.vatican.va
- §1528 — The proper time for receiving this holy anointing has certainly arrived when the believer begins to be in danger of death because of illness or old age.vatican.va
- §1529 — Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also when, after he has received it, the illness worsens.vatican.va
- §1530 — Only priests (presbyters and bishops) can give the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, using oil blessed by the bishop, or if necessary by the celebrating presbyter himself.vatican.va
- §1531 — The celebration of the Anointing of the Sick consists essentially in the anointing of the forehead and hands of the sick person (in the Roman Rite) or of other parts of the body (in the Eastern rite), the anointing being accompanied by the liturgical prayer…vatican.va
- §1532 — The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects: - the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church; - the strengthening, peace, and courage to…vatican.va
Scripture cited · 71 verses
Exodus 15:26 · Psalm 6:3 · Psalm 32:5 · Psalm 38:5 · Psalm 39:9 · Psalm 39:12 · Psalm 107:20 · Isaiah 33:24 · Isaiah 53:4 · Isaiah 53:5 · Isaiah 53:6 · Isaiah 53:11 · Matthew 1:21 · Matthew 4:24 · Matthew 8:17 · Matthew 10:8 · Matthew 10:38 · Matthew 25:36 · Mark 1:41 · Mark 2:5 · Mark 2:6 · Mark 2:7 · Mark 2:8 · Mark 2:9 · Mark 2:10 · Mark 2:11 · Mark 2:12 · Mark 2:17 · Mark 3:10 · Mark 5:34 · Mark 5:36 · Mark 6:12 · Mark 6:13 · Mark 6:56 · Mark 7:32 · Mark 7:33 · Mark 7:34 · Mark 7:35 · Mark 7:36 · Mark 8:22 · Mark 8:23 · Mark 8:24 · Mark 8:25 · Mark 9:23 · Mark 16:17 · Mark 16:18 · Luke 6:19 · Luke 7:16 · John 1:29 · John 6:54 · John 6:58 · John 9:6 · John 9:7 · John 13:1 · Acts 4:12 · Acts 9:34 · Acts 14:3 · Romans 8:17 · 1 Corinthians 11:30 · 1 Corinthians 12:9 · 1 Corinthians 12:28 · 1 Corinthians 12:30 · 2 Corinthians 12:9 · Colossians 1:24 · 2 Timothy 2:11 · 2 Timothy 2:12 · Hebrews 2:15 · James 5:14 · James 5:15 · James 5:16 · 1 Peter 4:13