Why can't deacons confer Anointing of the Sick?

Deacons can baptize and they can witness marriages, they can even distribute communion as an ordinary minister, and yet the Church does not allow deacons (nor any who are not priests) to confer the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

A brief consideration of this question – Why can’t a deacon confer Anointing of the Sick? – will teach us a great deal about this sacrament.

Is Anointing the sacrament of the dying? Yes and no

February 11^th, World Day of the Sick

Anointing of the Sick is surely the most misunderstood sacrament in today’s Church. However, I do not think it is so much that the faithful are too reserved in requesting it (as was the case in ages past), but rather it seems that the sacrament is far too often used in cases when it is not really appropriate. It is clear that the very close connection between Anointing and death has largely been lost over the past fifty years.

The Ecumenical Council of Trent declared that Anointing is the “sacrament of the dying”, and even Vatican II says that Anointing can still be called “Extreme Unction” (though admitting that “Anointing of the Sick” is better). Pope Paul VI specified that the “sick” who are to be anointed are those who are seriously ill. The Church’s teaching from Vatican II, to Pope Paul VI, to the Code of Canon Law specifies that Anointing of the sick is only to be given to those who have begun to be “in danger of death” whether from sickness or old age.

Three men who loved lepers: Jesus, Francis, and Damien

6^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”

Though not the first miracle of his public ministry, Jesus’ healing of the leper is certainly the first miracle he worked after relating the Sermon on the Mount (as is clear from St. Matthew [8:1]). Thus, it is striking to note that, immediately after preaching the great sermon which collects all of his message into one, he shows us the meaning of this preaching by touching a leper with love.

This act – taking pity upon, touching, and healing the leper – teaches us by example those same truths which our Savior had taught by words in the Sermon on the Mount.

Thus, it will be no surprise that the conversion of St. Francis of Assisi began with a leper. Further, we do well to recall the memory of St. Damien of Molokai, who so loved lepers as to become a leper himself – much as Christ loved us and became one like us in all things but sin.

The difference between martyrdom and suicide

February 9^th, Feast of St. Apollonia

Many of the martyrs speak of their desire for death with a greater zeal than we desire life – for they would suffer untold torments in order to achieve their death, but far too often we would rather die than suffer greatly in order to live.

And yet, without intending any dishonor to the martyrs, we may wonder: How is martyrdom different from suicide? Indeed, many of the ancient martyrs longed for death and even put themselves in harm’s way in order to achieve martyrdom – is this not, in some respect, similar to suicide?

The case of St. Apollonia (whose memory is commemorated this day, though not in the general calendar) will give great insight into this question – she voluntarily threw herself into the fires which her persecutors had prepared for her.

Can a pregnant woman be anointed on behalf of her dying unborn child?

Saturday, February 11^th – World Day of the Sick

This coming Saturday, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, is designated as the World Day of the Sick. In preparation for this day, we will be considering several questions regarding the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, or Extreme Unction.

Today, I wish to consider the particular question of anointing a pregnant woman on behalf of her unborn child who is in danger of death – there are several reasons why such an anointing would be a sacrilege and invalid, though (of course) we would not assign any fault to the woman but rather to the priest. This particular case will teach us a great deal about the sacrament.

We have already considered several important aspects of this sacrament: That it can only be given to those who are in a real danger of death (“How sick is sick?” [here]), that surgery cannot ever be the reason for Anointing but can be the occasion (“Should Anointing of the Sick be given before surgery?” [here]), and that young children cannot receive this sacrament [here].

The heroic minute, immediately upon waking - the first battle of the day

A Carthusian monk, from the film "Into Great Silence"

5^th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Mark 1:29-39

Rising very early before dawn, [Jesus] left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed.

After exorcising a demoniac, healing St. Peter’s mother-in-law, and curing many others, Jesus teaches us the absolute primacy of the interior life by rising early the next morning, before it was day, so as to go to a deserted place and pray.

Fr. Conrelius a’ Lapide tells us: “Learn here from Christ to give the early morning to prayer, and to rise up with the dawn, so as to have leisure for meditation, and to give the first-fruits of the day to God. For the dawn of day is a friend of the Muses, but a greater friend of God and the angels.”

If Christ did not "open the womb" of his Mother, why was he presented in the Temple?

February 2^nd, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb shall be consecrated to the Lord”. (Luke 2:22-23)

The Church teaches, as a matter of dogma (de fide) which every Catholic must believe, that Mary was a virgin not only before birth and after birth, but also during birth. This dogma states that Mary, even during the very act of giving birth, remained a virgin – hence, the word “virgin” refers not merely to refraining from sexual pleasure, but also to physical integrity.

Mary, as ever-virgin, suffered no harm to the physical closure of her virginal womb when she brought forth the Savior. Rather, he came forth from her as he came forth from the sealed tomb and as he entered the closed upper-room. The Church Fathers and Doctors (as well as the great mystics) tell us that Our Lord passed through the virginal cloister of Mary’s womb as thought proceeding from intellect and as light passing through glass. [we have already discussed this in previous articles – here, here, and here (in this last, we show that Jesus is still human even though he was born miraculously)]

However, the above verse from St. Luke’s Gospel seems to be against the Catholic dogma of Mary’s perpetual (physical) virginity. It seems that the Evangelist is telling us that Jesus was presented in the Temple precisely because he had opened the womb of his Mother, violating her physical integrity. How can the Catholic answer this objection?