https://www.cathcorn.org/sothcc2/last.htmlthere is another much more solemn, and of great antiquity in the Church, which through a special grant of the Roman Pontiffs bishops impart personally, or by delegated priests, to the sick in their agony. At first they acquired the privilege merely for a limited period, but by his Constitution Pia Mater, of April 5, 1747, Benedict XIV. extended it to the entire term of their episcopate, or as long as they held their sees, together with the power of sub-delegating their priests, secular and regular, to apply the indulgence to the dying.”2Regarding the origin of this indulgence, O’Kane remarks (No. 958): “From the earliest ages of the Church bishops were invited from time to time to give their blessing to the dying, and when given by the popes, or those specially delegated by them, it was, no doubt, very often accompanied by a plenary indulgence. We have, most probably, an instance of this in the indulgence granted to St. Clare by Innocent IV., as we read in her Life given in the Roman Breviary. At all events it is certain that the popes have power to grant such indulgences, and that this power has been frequently used in the Church.”
It is to be given after the sick person has received the last sacraments, or such of them as the nature of his ailment or the condition of his mental faculties permits him to receive. It may be given not only to those who ask for it in express terms, or to those who, although they do not ask for it, either through negligence or forgetful ness, yet show signs of sorrow for their sins; but “this indulgence should be communicated even to the dying who have lost the use of their senses; for we may always presume, at least in ordinary cases, that it would be their desire to receive this blessing had they the use of their reason. It may also be applied to children who, by reason of their age, have not made their First Communion.”
3 This is to be understood, of course, of children who have come to the use of reason; for those who have not attained the years of discretion, and persons who have never had the use of reason, being incapable of sin, have no need of it. Nor can it be imparted to excommunicated persons, nor to such as, to all appearances, are dying impenitent. “It may be doubted, however, whether the benediction is restricted, like Extreme Unction, to such as are in danger of death from bodily sickness, whether it may not be given to one who is in danger of death from any other cause, e.g. , to a convict about to be executed.
The words of the bull Pia Mater, as well as the rubrics, undoubtedly seem to suppose that the person receiving the benediction is sick, infirm, etc. Now, it may be that this is supposed or required
as a condition; or it may be that the words are used, not to express a condition, but simply to describe the case that usually occurs. It is quite uncertain, and depends altogether on the intention of the Pontiff. But in the absence of authority against it, the benediction may be given at least conditionally.”
4With regard to the circuмstances under which the blessing may be repeated, the same author remarks (No. 962): “It is certain that the benediction may be repeated in the circuмstances in which Extreme Unction may be repeated, that is, when the sick person, having partially recovered, relapses, and is again in danger of death. But in case of protracted illness, where the danger still continues, it cannot be repeated. Both points have been expressly decided by the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences. It has been long before decided by the same Congregation that a plenary indulgence
in articulo mortis given simply and without any other declaration, should be understood strictly as gained only when death actually occurs.” It would seem, however, that a more recent decree permits the repetition of the last blessing. Says Maurel (p. 299): “In the same danger, or in the same
articulo mortis, said the ancient decrees, it is not permitted to recite many times the benediction for a dying person, with an application of the plenary indulgence. But Pius IX. has given leave to repeat the form of the indulgence over the same in valid and in the same danger. He furthermore allows priests vested with the power to impart several times—
pluries—to a dying person the different indulgences
in articulo mortis, to which he may have a right under various titles. Notwithstanding this, the indulgence cannot be gained more than once, and is not truly applied to a sick person, except when death actually ensues. Thus the
articulo mortis is that moment which is actually followed by death,
the intention of the Supreme Pontiff in granting the indulgence being, according to Theodore a Spiritu Sancto, ‘that the faithful might have nothing to expiate after this mortal pilgrimage.’” The conditions for gaining this indulgence are: first, at least an habitual intention of gaining it; secondly, the eliciting of an act of contrition and of love, if the sick person is able to do so; thirdly, the invocation, at least mentally, of the name of Jesus; and fourthly, the sick person is admonished to bear with resignation the inconveniences and sufferings incident to his sickness, in expiation of the sins of his past life, and to be ready to accept from the hand of God whatsoever it shall please Him to ordain, even death, which he has deserved by his sins.5A necessary condition for receiving the last blessing is that the sick person be in the state of sanctifying grace, for no one can gain a plenary indulgence in the state of sin.
“The
most important condition for gaining a plenary indulgence is to have a true hatred of all sins, even venial, and to be wholly free from any attachment to them. This condition is absolutely necessary; for, as St. Alphonsus teaches, ‘it is certain that, so long as the guilt of venial sin is not remitted, the punishment due to it cannot be remitted.’ So that while the soul bears the guilt of a single little venial sin, or even any attachment to such sin, it is clear that it cannot obtain the total remission of its punishment, or, in other words, a plenary indulgence ; for a plenary indulgence is nothing more nor less than the complete remission of the temporal punishment due to sin, of which the guilt has been already remitted.”
6On this point O’Kane remarks (No. 963): “If the person, however, be not in the state of grace when the benediction is given, it is of no avail, and should be repeated when he recovers the state of grace. But should he, after having received it in the state of grace, again fall into mortal sin, he would receive the fruit of the indulgence at the moment of death, provided he had in the meantime recovered the state of grace; and therefore in this case the benediction should not be repeated.” Recent legislation on the subject of the last blessing has somewhat modified the conditions, and for that reason the above is not now strictly correct. The blessing can not be repeated in the same sickness, although the sickness continues for a long time, nor can it be imparted by several priests, nor is it to be repeated if the sick person was in the state of mortal sin when he received it, nor in case he relapses into mortal sin after it is given.
7 It should be given while the sick person has the use of his mental faculties, and not be deferred till the last moment. The faculties now granted to priests in general include that of conferring this blessing, and hence sick persons are seldom deprived of the opportunity of gaining this indulgence so profitable and necessary for them.
With regard to certain other indulgences that may be gained at the hour of death, O’Kane remarks (Nos. 978, 979): “It may be observed that this is not the only plenary indulgence that can be obtained at the hour of death. A great many have been granted for this hour to the faithful who are members of certain pious confraternities, who practise certain devotions, or who have rosaries, crosses, medals, etc., to which indulgences are attached, provided they comply with the requisite conditions. The titles on which these indulgences are granted are altogether distinct, and the conditions are not incompatible. It has been decided by the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences that, when Communion is required as a condition of the indulgence the same Communion may suffice for several plenary indulgences. The conditions required for those
in articulo mortis are very easy. They are for the most part those acts which should in any event be frequently elicited by Christians in danger of death: acts of contrition, acts of the love of God, and of perfect resignation to His holy will, and the invocation of the holy name, with the heart if not with the lips. To gain the indulgences attached to the rosaries, crosses, medals, etc., it is enough to take the blessed object in the hand, or to have it about or near the person, while making the acts prescribed, which are usually those just mentioned. The ministry of a priest is not necessary, though it is, of course, very useful in assisting the sick person to make the acts required. It is probable that even by virtue of a single concession the indulgences may be gained as often as the prescribed acts are repeated, but there is no reason to doubt that several may be gained when the titles are distinct. With respect to the intention, it is sufficient that one have that of gaining all the indulgences he can by the acts he performs. It is not necessary to think of them in particular, nor even to know that they are attached to the acts. It is even probable that an intention of gaining the indulgence is not required at all, provided the work to which it is attached be done. St. Liguori seems to think that at all events it is enough to have an interpretative intention.”
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Topic: Extreme Unction and the Benedictine Blessing (Read 592 times)