When Priests Aren’t Allowed
To Give Last Rites
American Conservative,
by
Father Robert Sirico
Original Article
Posted By: tisHimself,
4/29/2020 8:59:24 AM
Overreactions to a crisis can come from all quarters: religious, secular, civil society, and, above all, politics. Unless the many sectors that make up society can work together with all due respect to each other’s freedom and spheres of competency, much can and will go wrong.
Consider the overreach of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio in his threat to shut down—permanently—synagogues, churches, and mosques that fail to obey his orders. Or Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s comical prohibition of the sale of vegetable seeds but not lotto tickets. Instead of earning their community leaders’ goodwill and cooperation, such arbitrariness breeds contempt for the law and abates conspiracy theories.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Jethro bo 4/29/2020 9:07:12 AM (No. 395177)
One can get last rites on a battlefield where death is far greater occurrence than this virus. Such is the Constitution where it clearly says a virus less deadly than suicide can trump 1st amendment rights.
13 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
10-289 4/29/2020 9:22:15 AM (No. 395201)
Add to list of directive 10-289
4 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
sanspeur 4/29/2020 9:57:44 AM (No. 395261)
This is a horrible article that shows the failure of “science ( ie medical arts ) & gov’t” to the completeness of our human existence. Is this what we gave become ?
This is like the almost gleeful way nameless droid civil-servants ( spit) have killed our country , it’s morality based society , free enterprise system and fundamental familial core .
7 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
Rather Read 4/29/2020 10:27:51 AM (No. 395316)
A dear cousin of mine died recently. She did get last rites since one of her sons is a priest. Her funeral was limited to 10 people which was all her children and there could be no Mass. I suppose there will be a Mass later. I am so sick of not being able to go to Mass!!
17 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
bamapreacher 4/29/2020 11:11:43 AM (No. 395368)
#5, Try James, chapter 5, verses 14-15
7 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Texpub 4/29/2020 11:13:17 AM (No. 395374)
#5 It is a Sacrament in the Catholic Church. It is also called Anointing of the Sick. It is important to most Catholics.
14 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
pros7767 4/29/2020 11:17:40 AM (No. 395383)
Amen!
When my mother was in the last days of hospice a few years back, my sister could see she seemed agitated. I suggested she bring the priest over for last rites. As he performed the sacrament and then spoke with her, she immediately calmed down and went peacefully over to the other side, HEAVEN. It is important to many people.
17 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Jesuslover54 4/29/2020 11:33:10 AM (No. 395415)
There are days that I wish we didn't get the leaders we deserve. We've got similar in California. I would pray for a bit more grace, you know, for the effort.
5 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
bamapreacher 4/29/2020 11:54:04 AM (No. 395439)
#9 The "Last Rites," properly called Extreme Unction, includes a prayer for the healing of the sick person. If healing is not going to be God's will, the rites also include the opportunity to confess sins, resulting in their pardon. That people can receive the Last Rites more than once indicates that healing sometimes accompanies them.
21 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
Timber Queen 4/29/2020 2:06:13 PM (No. 395569)
Prior to Vatican II the rite was Extreme Unction, an anointing at the time of great sickness or imminent death. Over the centuries, through the influence of limited medical knowledge and social practices, the Sacrament became associated with death and colloquially known as the "last rites" even though it was not exclusive to the time of death. Vatican II clarified the true nature of the rite and renamed it the Anointing of the Sick. I received the Sacrament before a major surgery. Along with anointing with Holy Oils, blessed annually by the bishop of each diocese, the rite also includes the Sacraments of Reconciliation and reception of the Eucharist. If indeed death is eminent, this last Holy Communion is known as the Viacom, Food for the Last Journey. In this context the visit from a priest is the highest priority for a Catholic.
The Sacraments are God's gift to His people enabling them to share in His Divine Life. Our initiation is marked with water and oil at the once reception of Baptism and completed with oil again at Confirmation. The Sacraments of vocation also are conveyed through oils, as Holy Orders and Matrimony are also uniquely received; Holy Orders only once and Matrimony is ideally a once in a lifetime. Reconciliation (confession) and reception of the Eucharist can be received as often as a Catholic wishes and these Sacraments unite our whole lives with the Divine. To deny devout, faithful, and even lukewarm, Catholics the Sacraments at the moment they are preparing to enter the Court of The Father is wicked.
The state does not own me, neither now or at death. I have been denied the regular reception of the Sacraments for eight weeks. Open up the churches!
8 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
EQKimball 4/29/2020 3:10:05 PM (No. 395606)
In the archdiocese of Los Angeles, Catholics have been excused from attending Mass on Sunday (although live-streamed services are available). Baptisms, confirmations, weddings, confessions and distribution of communion are so rare as to qualify as non-existent. I wonder what position the Church would take if this were to last a year. Would it file a lawsuit? Would the Democrat-appointed Supreme Court grant relief? And if not, what?
2 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
bighambone 4/29/2020 8:07:39 PM (No. 395814)
In such dire times where the Mayor of a city or hospital administrators keep a Catholic Priest from giving the last rites, a sacrament, to a parishioner on his or her death bed, you have to figure that the Pope would swing into action with a waiver.
0 people like this.
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