Chapter s33 The Minister of the Sacrament of Anointing

Is it because the Anointing, when necessary, "forgives sins" and only the ordained priest has the "power of jurisdiction" to forgive sins?  But when a layperson gives Holy Communion to a sick person who has committed a mortal sin and cannot get to a priest to receive sacramental absolution, but has made an act of perfect contrition, the Eucharist (administered by the lay minister) forgives the persons' sins;  why is not the oil a similar case?

Bibliography

Pierre-Marie Gy, O.P., "La question du ministre de l'onction des malades,"  La Maison-Dieu, #205, 1996:1, pp 15-24. 

Pierre Jounel, "La communion des malades,"  La Maison-Dieu, #205, 1996:1, pp 107-115. 

"Anointing of the Sick:  Theological Issues," 63 (2001) 233-254, Susan K. Woods. SCL

"Ministry to the Sick and Dying in View of the Shortage of Priests," 63 (2001) 127-146, John Huels, OSM

The Liturgical Movement   Historical research helps us rethink this scholastic, limited view of the history of the sacrament and ministry.

Vatican II   The Second Vatican Council not only restores sacramental rituals, but restores Baptism to its proper place as the sacrament which "Christens" us, i.e. transforms us into Christ, makes us an "alter Christus." 

Note that in the new ritual books, the minister of the sacrament is always the community itself.  Within that community, there is a diversity of functions. The former understanding looked first of all to sacraments as "administer and received", the minister was usually the priest and then there were qualifications as to the recipient. Once the theology shifts from "matter/form" and "administer/receive" to "community celebrating" and the "Presence of Christ", we then not only use a different vocabulary but we begin to think in different categories.

Discipleship and Ministry are reunited.  Expansion of lay ministries.   Questions arise about lay anointing. 

The 1983 Code of Canon Law

Book 4.  The Office of Sanctifying in the Church 834-1253
    Part 1.  The Sacraments  850-1165
       Title 5. Anointing the Sick
            Chapter II. The Minister of the Anointing of the Sick 

Canon 1003 §1. Every priest and a priest alone validly administers the anointing of the sick.

§2. All priests to whom the care of souls has been entrusted have the duty and right of administering the anointing of the sick for the faithful entrusted to their pastoral office. For a reasonable cause, any other priest can administer this sacrament with at least the presumed consent of the priest mentioned above.

§3. Any priest is permitted to carry blessed oil with him so that he is able to administer the sacrament of the anointing of the sick in a case of necessity.

Richstatter/Commentary:  The Code here repeats the theology of Trent.  The context is "administering" sacraments (by the priest) and the "receiving" of the sacraments (by the laity).  The Vatican II ritual books speak of the sacraments as "liturgical celebrations" and speak of the Church (the local community) as the primary minister of the sacraments.  Then it follows that the one who is authorized to lead the Church, the local community, in prayer and oversight would ordinarily be the one to lead the community in worship.

Remember from the history of the sacrament:  in the early church the overseer blessed the oil and deacons and the faithful anointed.  During the scholastic period when discussing the "effects" of the sacraments, it was concluded that sacraments are spiritual signs and therefore have spiritual effects.  The spiritual effect of anointing is forgiveness of sins.  The minister of anointing is the one with power of jurisdiction.  Today, for various reasons, many are asking if canon 1003 §1 can be changed.

The non-ordained can be authorized to take the Eucharistic bread to the sick in their homes and hospitals;  why cannot the non-ordained be authorized to take the Blessed oil to the sick in their homes and hospitals?  But anointing forgives sins?  So does Eucharist!

Using Eucharist as the "model" sacrament the Eucharistic Prayer at Eucharist is parallel to the Blessing of the Oil at Anointing.  The formula for the administration of Holy Communion is parallel to the formula for administering the blessed oil.

The National Association of Catholic Chaplains has prepared a plan to request that the law be changed regarding the minister of the sacrament to enable deacons and other ministers (e.g. USCCB certified chaplains) to preside at the celebration of the sacrament of anointing. (A plan and resolution was adopted by the NACC National Leadership Council on May 16, 1992.  See NACC Vision, Volume 2, #10. November - December 1992.)

In addition, the National Association of Catholic Chaplains is collecting statistics concerning instances when someone who was seriously ill and asked for the Sacrament of Anointing was not able to be anointed because there was no priest available. The NACC is collecting this data in order to give weight to their request to the Holy Father to reconsider the current legislation regarding the minister of this sacrament.

Questions arise about lay anointing.  Recommendations were made, studies were done, history was scrutinized.  The question was asked why could not lay Christians anoint?   The question reaches Rome and The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith gives it official reply.

 Ongoing Theological Discussion

Through the working of the Holy Spirit, “the Church constantly moves forward toward the pleroma, the fullness of divine truth.” (see:  Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation, #8). 

Our understanding of church discipline is continually re-investigated in the light of our changing historical and cultural context.  Today, due to the "shortage of priests" there are situations in the USA where Catholics who are gravely ill request the Sacrament of the Anointing (and/or the Sacrament of Reconciliation) and there is no ordained priest available to celebrate the sacrament with them.  

Written records begin to be kept to document how many people die without the sacraments because no priest was available.

World-Vision:  While this is an important consideration (especially to those who die without the sacraments!) the situation in other parts of the world is even more serious. 

For example, in the largest Catholic country in the world, Brazil, there is a much higher ration of baptized to ordained than here in the United States.  Many Catholics can celebrate Eucharist only 4 or 5 times a year at most.   And the celebration of the other sacraments is even less frequent.  The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick simply "disappear."   While lay catechists can baptize converts, Confirmation is rare, Eucharist infrequent, Reconciliation and Anointing (along with sacramental Marriage and Holy Orders) simply disappear! -- If, as many theologians attest, the distinguishing mark that makes us Catholic Christians is the fact that we Catholics are a sacramental Church, and the sacraments disappear, the very "essence" of our catholicity is lost!  This is serious indeed!

It is in this urgent context that theologians continue to ask:  Who is the minister of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick?

In an important article in La Maison-Dieu, (the official journal of the Institut Supérieur de Liturgie in Paris) #205, 1996:1, pp 15-24, "La question du ministre de l'onction des malades,"  [The Question regarding the minister of the Anointing of the Sick], Father Pierre-Marie Gy, O.P. addresses this question.  [P-M Gy directed my doctoral thesis on the history and meaning of Liturgical Law.  He was the director of the Institut Supérieur de Liturgie in Paris.  He was the president/redactor of the committee which composed the current Roman Ordo for the Sacrament of Anointing.  And, as I liked to picture him, he was  the Dominican theologian successor of Saint Thomas Aquinas at the University of Paris! In other words, this is not just "another magazine article" but a very important voice speaking with an exceptional theological, historical, and liturgical authority.]

Father Gy first asks where the "essence of the sacrament" lies, (a) in the prayer of blessing of the oil, (b) in the oil itself,(c) in the administration of the oil, or (d) in the prayer during the administration.

Think of the Eucharist as a "parallel" case.  There is (a) the prayer of blessing the bread and wine (the Eucharistic Prayer) which can be pronounced only by the ordained priest (bishops and presbyters); there is (b) the consecrated Bread and Wine; there is (c) the eating and drinking of the consecrated Bread and Wine, with (d) the formula:  "The Body of Christ.  Amen.  The Blood of Christ.  Amen." 

In another article in this same issue of

Pierre Jounel, "La communion des malades,"  La Maison-Dieu, #205, 1996:1, pp 107-115.