What is the Church?—VI

Extract

In the last article I suggested that the sacraments of penance and the anointing of the sick could be seen as parallel paths of return to the eucharist. Each of them belongs to the situation in which a man is prevented from taking part in the eucharist; penance has to do with the obstacles created by sin, anointing with the obstacle of sickness. This is not the most widespread view of the anointing of the sick but there can be very little doubt that it was the ancient view of the Church. For most Catholics ‘extreme unction’ is associated with the deathbed, not with healing; the very name suggests the last moments of life. It is commonly regarded as a preparation for death, and its effect is believed to be primarily an invisible one though it is conceded that an improvement of health may also follow by way of a bonus.