An utterly modern scandal


The new rite for the Annointing of the Sick does not carry a plenary indulgence at the moment of death, unless the priest chooses to apply it and who is he to judge whether their is an truly imminent threat of death. So many people are annointed as sick, thinking that if they die, they have been reconciled. They or their relatives do not request again the Last Rites, with the plenary indulgence. A tragedy.

And another example of the disastrous pastoral care of the sick, an illustration from a book designed to help them. It has passed from the idea that we share, as a priviledge, in the sufferings of Our Lord, to an identity between the sufferer and Christ. Such fideism, (-the historical Christ no longer matters) ends up helping nobody.
Rather lead all to penitence through the Passion of Christ. Total identity also diminishes the role of our sins in His Cruxifixion.

Comments

HughOSB said…
I appreciate the work that goes into your blog, and it reminds me how NOT to say Mass. BUT:

"The new rite for the Annointing of the Sick does not carry a plenary indulgence at the moment of death, unless the priest chooses to apply it and who is he to judge whether their is an truly imminent threat of death. So many people are annointed as sick, thinking that if they die, they have been reconciled."

Please get the theology right. The Plenary Idulgence does NOT effect reconciliation; it only has effect AFTER receonciliation has been conferred, in this case by the Sacrament of Anointing. So those who have been anointed and have the proper disposition ARE indeed RECONCILED to God and his Church.

Pax.