medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
--- John Briggs <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >
medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> culture
>
> Page 313 of "The Stripping of the Altars" - you find it by looking up
> "Extreme Unction" in the index :-)
Yes indeed. Do notice that Duffy is at pains to point out that this was
a complete misunderstanding:
"It was widely and erroneously believed . . . Despite all the
authorities could do to reassure them . . ."
There is, as has been pointed out on this thread, a considerable
difference between what the Church teaches and what the faithful
understand, a difference well-known to any parish priest. It may be
worth mentioning that last year, when the subject came up in the
lectionary (i.e. when Mark 6:13 was read at Mass) I preached about the
sacrament of anointing, as it is now known (nobody in the Catholic
Church would know what was meant by 'unction'). As a result of my
sermon, I had several requests for anointing from the sick and elderly
of my parish, who had not realised that it was permitted before you
were actually on the point of expiry.
The intention of anointing someone is always healing. When it is done
at the point of death, it is done to strengthen the sick person and
give him or her the courage to face death, not to get the sick person
into heaven. As the Catechism teaches (paragraph 1523): 'This last
anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart
for the final struggles before entering the Father's house.' This is,
significantly, a quotation from the Council of Trent. A more
contemporary interpretation is given in the pocket ritual I use when
actually anointing someone:
"For those who are seriosly ill, as soon as there is any danger, the
Anointing of the Sick is the appropriate sacrament; for those who are
dying Viaticum is the most important sacrament."
Bill.
=====
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