The Theological Implications of the Council’s Liturgical Constitution: Changes in the Concept of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick

e Council of Trent, by listing the sacraments instituted by Christ, gave fi$h place to the last rites, extrema unctio (D 844). is is the name under which the sacrament has been known to the faithful and discussed by theology until today. e liturgical Constitution of the Second Vatican Council deals with it in Chapter 3, points 73-75, and makes the following provision: 73. e “last rites,” which can also – and better – be called the “anointing of the sick,” is not a sacrament intended for those who are in ultimate danger of losing their lives, in extremo vitae periculo. erefore, the right time to receive this sacrament certainly occurs, certe habetur, when the faithful begins to be, incipit esse, in danger of death from illness or old age. 74. In addition to the rite of the anointing of the sick and the viaticum, a continuous rite should be performed in which the Anointing is given to the sick a$er confession and before the acceptance of the Vatican. 75. e number of Anointings must be adapted to the circumstances, and the prayers of the Anointing of the Sick rite must be adapted to suit the different categories of the sick who receive the Sacrament1.