Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the Sick, in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches, a sacrament of spiritual comfort for the seriously ill or aged, formerly called extreme unction. The rite consists of biblical readings, prayers, and the anointing by a priest of the five senses (eyes, ears, nose, lips, and hands) of the sick person with oil normally blessed by a bishop on Maundy Thursday. In cases of emergency, the forehead alone is anointed. The rite may be celebrated either individually or in a group service. The effects are believed to include not only spiritual healing but also the restoration of bodily health, if God so wills.

The early church practice of anointing the sick was based on two New Testament texts (Mark 6:13; James 5:14-16). After the 8th century, the anointing came to be associated almost exclusively with rites for the dying. The term extreme unction, or last anointing, was introduced at that time. The 12th-century Italian theologian Peter Lombard listed the rite among the seven sacraments; that listing was recognized as official by the Council of Trent (1543-63).

Since the time of the Reformation, Protestants have generally rejected the sacramental nature of the rite, and some even the practice itself. The Anglican Communion makes provision for an anointing of the sick, but many Anglicans consider it a rite instituted by the church rather than a sacrament established by Christ.