Sick
Part 2 History
Chapter 26 Reformation Period [1500-1699 CE]
Secular History |
Church History |
Ministry to the Sick and Dying |
Secular History
1.
Church History
Many began to see that the Church had acquired so many practices and customs and rules through the centuries that often the divine message of the Gospel was obscured under layers of human rituals. Consequently, it was time to "clean house."
The reformers define sacrament as "An outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace AND FOUND IN SCRIPTURE. (Therefore: there are two sacraments, Baptism and Eucharist -- or perhaps also a third, confession.)
1614 Publication of the Roman Ritual of the Council of Trent to be used in all Churches that did not have a 200 year custom.
Ministry to the Sick
The Council of Trent and Extreme Unction Session 14 (25 November 1551) being the fourth under Pope Julius III. On the Most Holy Sacraments of Penance and Extreme Unction [TRR Commentary 1: Note that Extreme Unction follows Penance because it was considered to be the "ultimate" or "last" sacrament of forgiveness of sins. Extreme Unction is understood as the "perfection/completion of the last confession."] The text given here is that provided by the Hanover Historical Texts Project http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct14.html
On the Sacrament of Extreme Unction
It hath also seemed good to the holy Synod, to subjoin, to the
preceding doctrine on penance, the following on the sacrament of Extreme
Unction, which by the Fathers was regarded as being the completion, not only of
penance, but also of the whole Christian life, which ought to be a perpetual
penance. [TRR Commentary 2: see commentary
#1 above] First, therefore, as regards its institution, It declares
and teaches, that our most gracious Redeemer,--who would have his servants at
all times provided with salutary remedies against all the weapons of all their
enemies,--as, in the other sacraments, He prepared the greatest aids, whereby,
during life, Christians may preserve themselves whole from every more grievous
spiritual evil, so did He guard the close of life, by the sacrament of Extreme
Unction, as with a most firm defense. [TRR
Commentary 3: Trent believes the seven sacraments to have been "instituted by
Christ" in a temporal, historical sense] For though our adversary
seeks and seizes opportunities, all our life long, to be able in any way to
devour our souls; yet is there no time wherein he strains more vehemently all
the powers of his craft to ruin us utterly, and, if he can possibly, to make us
fall even from trust in the mercy of God, than when he perceives the end of our
life to be at hand. [TRR Commentary 4:
The Good Angel Uriel has
become Satan]
Chapter 1 On the Institution of the Sacrament of
Extreme Unction
Now, this sacred unction of the sick [TRR
Commentary 5: Important
Note that Trent here uses the ancient name for the the sacrament, the "unction
(anointing) of the sick." The Second Vatican Council in SC #73
restores this name for the sacrament which is
more traditional than Extreme Unction"]
was instituted by Christ our Lord, as truly and properly a sacrament of
the new law, insinuated indeed in Mark, but recommended and promulgated to the
faithful by James the Apostle, and brother of the Lord.
[TRR Commentary 6: Note the verbs. They are important. Note
also the designation of James] Is any man, he saith, sick among you
? Let him bring in the priests [TRR Commentary 7:
"priests" is interpreted in Trent's understanding of "priest ordained by a
bishop"] of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man;
and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven
him. In which words, as the Church has learned from apostolic tradition,
received from hand to hand, he [James] teaches the matter, the form, the proper
minister, and the effect of this salutary sacrament. For the Church has
understood the matter thereof to be oil blessed by a bishop. For the unction
very aptly represents the grace of the Holy Ghost with which the soul of the
sick person is invisibly anointed; and furthermore that whose words, "By this
unction," &c. are the form. [TRR Commentary 8:
The "form" they are referring to is: "May the Lord forgive you by this
holy anoint+ing and his most loving mercy whatever sins you have committed by
the use of your sight. Amen. {This formula was repeated six times:
1. by the use of your sight: 2. by the use of your hearing; 3. by the use of
your sense of smell; 4. by the use of your sense of taste and the power of
speech; 5. by the use of your sense of touch; 6. by the use of your power to
walk} Thus anointing all the ways by which we sin -- which was seen to be the
purpose of the sacrament.]
Chapter 2 On the Effect of this Sacrament
Moreover the thing signified and the effect of this sacrament are explained in
those words; And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man, and the Lord shall
raise him up, and if he be in sins they shall be forgiven him. For the thing
here signified is the grace of the Holy Ghost; whose anointing cleanses away
sins, if there be any still to be expiated, as also the remains of sins; and
raises up and strengthens the soul of the sick person, by exciting in him a
great confidence in the divine mercy; whereby the sick being supported, bears
more easily the inconveniences and pains of his sickness; and more readily
resists the temptations of the devil who lies in wait for his heel; and at times
obtains bodily health, when expedient for the welfare of the soul.
Chapter 3 On the Minister of this Sacrament, and
on the time when it ought to be administered
And now as to prescribing who ought to receive, and who to administer this
sacrament, this also was not obscurely delivered in the words above cited. For
it is there also shown, that the proper ministers of this sacrament are the
Presbyters of the Church; by which name are to be understood, in that place, not
the elders by age, or the foremost in dignity amongst the people, but, either
bishops, or priests by bishops rightly ordained by the imposition of the hands
of the priesthood. It is also declared, that this unction is to be applied to
the sick, but to those especially who lie in such danger as to seem to be about
to depart this life: whence also it is called the sacrament of the departing.
And if the sick should, after having received this unction, recover, they may
again be aided by the succor of this sacrament, when they fall into another like
danger of death. Wherefore, they are on no account to be hearkened to, who,
against so manifest and clear a sentence of the apostle James, teach, either
that this unction is a human figment or is a rite received from the Fathers
which neither has a command from Cod, nor a promise of grace: nor those who
assert that it has already ceased, as though it were only to be referred to the
grace of healing in the primitive church; nor those who say that the rite and
usage which the holy Roman Church observes in the administration of this
sacrament is repugnant to the sentiment of the apostle James, and that it is
therefore to be changed into some other: nor finally those who affirm that this
Extreme Unction may without sin be contemned by the faithful : for all these
things are most manifestly at variance with the perspicuous words of so great an
apostle. Neither assuredly does the Roman Church, the mother and mistress of all
other churches, observe aught in administering this unction,--as regards those
things which constitute the substance of this sacrament,--but what blessed James
has prescribed. Nor indeed can there be contempt of so great a sacrament without
a heinous sin, and an injury to the Holy Ghost himself. These are the things
which this holy ecumenical Synod professes and teaches and proposes to all the
faithful of Christ, to be believed and held, touching the sacraments of Penance
and Extreme Unction. And it delivers the following canons to be inviolably
preserved; and condemns and anathematizes those who assert what is contrary
thereto.
Canons on the Sacrament of Extreme Unction
Canon 1 If any one saith,
that Extreme Unction is not truly and properly a sacrament, instituted by Christ
our Lord, and promulgated by the blessed apostle James; but is only a rite
received from the Fathers, or a human figment; let him be anathema.
Canon 2 If any one saith, that the sacred
unction of the sick does not confer grace, nor remit sin, nor comfort the sick;
but that it has already ceased, as though it were of old only the grace of
working Cures; let him be anathema.
Canon 3 If any one saith, that the rite
and usage of Extreme Unction, which the holy Roman Church observes, is repugnant
to the sentiment of the blessed apostle James, and that is therefore to be
changed, and may, without sin, be contemned by Christians; let him be anathema.
Canon 4 If any one saith, that the
Presbyters of the Church, whom blessed James exhorts to be brought to anoint the
sick, are not the priests who have been ordained by a bishop, but the elders in
each community, and that for this Cause a priest alone is not the proper
minister of Extreme Unction; let him be anathema.
TRR Commentary: Note that if contemporary scripture scholarship and
Church historians find that the "presbyters of the Church" mentioned in James
are not ordained priests but elders in each community and that ordained
priesthood is a later ecclesiastical development; and if the discipline of the
Church changes to allow deacons and/or lay ministers to anoint, this canon will
have to be interpreted as "disciplinary" rather than "doctrinal."
ANGEL postings
Extreme unction as sacrament
instituted by Christ and
announced by James. Enduring salvific meaning – conferring grace,
remitting sins, and comforting the sick. Corresponds with scriptural precedent
in James. Ordained priest is proper minister. Sacrament for those so
"dangerously ill that they seem near to death." Strengthening of entire human
person. (Council of Trent) Changes in liturgical rites and pastoral suggestions.
Communion of sick now found under sacrament of the eucharist. (Rituale Romanum)
Extreme unction instituted by Christ. It confers grace, remits sins, and
comforts the sick. Rite based and practice founded within Scripture (James).
Proper minister is an ordained priest. Administered when 'dangerously ill that
they seem in fear of death.'
Martin Luther – unction is not a sacrament instituted by Christ, Council of
Trent: 1.Unction is sacrament, 2. confers grace, remits sins comforts sick, 3,
rite corresponds with precedent of James, 4.proper minister is ordained priest,
countering Protestant disclaimers of sacraments, Council of Trent formalized the
Seven Sacraments all instituted by Christ. Anointing became Sacrament of Extreme
Unction conferring grace, remitting sins, and comforting the sick. The council
stopped short of saying it was a sacrament of extreme unction - only for the
dying.
Council of Trent response to Luther/Calvin. Extreme Unction instituted by Christ
as announced by James. Salvific meaning. Confers grace, remits sins, comforts
the sick. Proper minister is priest; Church's rite/practice conforms to James.
Administered when dangerously ill and near death. Latin makes the rite awkward,
impractical.
Council of Trent; Martin Luther; further modified; dying not mentioned;
forerunner of Ritulae Romanum; opening; sprinkling; penance; 3 prayers;
anointing; 3 prayers
Reaffirmed the multiple benefits of the sacrament. The sacrament is available to
the "seriously" ill, not just gravely ill. Clergy abuse of stipends was
rectified. In 1614 the Rituale Romanum outlined the pastoral care of the sick.
Click here to go to the next chapter of this history Click here to return to the previous chapter
© Copyright: Tom Richstatter, Franciscan Province of St. John the Baptist, Cincinnati Ohio, Order of Friars Minor. All Rights Reserved. This page was created by Fr. Thomas Richstatter, O.F.M. Every effort has been, and is being made, to acknowledge sources when the ideas are not my own. Any failure to comply with the United States Copyright Act (Title 17, United States Code) will be corrected immediately should I become aware of it. This site was updated on 06/05/07 . Your comments on this site are welcome at webmaster2@tomrichstatter.org.