Anointing of the Sick

Definition and Meaning

The Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven sacraments observed by the Catholic Church. A priest prays over a believer who is gravely ill or weakened by old age and anoints the person's forehead and hands with consecrated oil (holy oil). The term "sacrament" refers to a rite that the Catholic Church believes conveys God's grace through a visible sign.

The rite was formerly called "Extreme Unction," reflecting the practice of administering it just before death. After the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), it was given its present name to emphasize that the sacrament is intended not only for the dying but for the sick in general. The Catholic Church teaches that this sacrament gives comfort and strength to the sick and forgives sins. It may be received again if the illness becomes grave once more.

Biblical and Historical Background

The Catholic Church cites two passages in support of the sacrament. The first is Mark 6:13, which records that the disciples "anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them"; the second is James 5:14–15, which instructs the sick to call for the elders of the church: "let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord." Building on the tradition of anointing that goes back to the Old Testament, the church is reported to have prayed over the sick and anointed them with oil from its earliest days. In the medieval Western Church, the rite gradually became established as a rite for the dying, and in the sixteenth century the Council of Trent reaffirmed it as a sacrament.

During the Reformation, Martin Luther and other Reformers concluded that the rite could not be regarded as a sacrament instituted directly by Christ and removed it from the list of sacraments. Accordingly, Protestant churches recognize only two sacraments: baptism and the Lord's Supper. Like the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church observes the anointing of the sick with oil as a sacrament.

Practice in Korean Churches

• Catholic Church: The parish priest visits homes or hospitals to administer the Anointing of the Sick. When death is near, he may also give final Communion (viaticum).
• Anglican Church: The Anglican Church of Korea practices prayer for the sick and anointing with oil (unction of the sick) as one of its sacramental rites.
• Presbyterian, Methodist, and most other Protestant denominations: These churches have no rite called the "Anointing of the Sick." Instead, pastors and other ministers make pastoral visits to the sick and pray with the laying on of hands, placing their hands on the person's head; oil is generally not used. In hospitals, chaplains may also fill this role.
• Pentecostal and Holiness traditions: Pentecostal denominations such as the Korea Assemblies of God emphasize divine healing (the healing of illness by the power of God). In the Holiness Church, which upholds divine healing as one of the four tenets of the Fourfold Gospel, some churches and ministers follow the teaching of James by anointing the sick with oil as they pray. Even so, the anointing is understood not as a sacrament but as one form of prayer offered in faith.