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Questions / Confession and the sacraments

What is the anointing of the sick?

Church teaching

Answered on video by The Thomistic Institute (Dominican friars)

Video: What Is Anointing of the Sick? (Aquinas 101), The Thomistic Institute, published Jun 3, 2025. Checked 10 October 2026. Loads from YouTube (privacy-enhanced mode) only when you press play. Watch on YouTube

In short: Grace for anyone facing serious illness or old age, uniting their suffering to Christ’s. CCC 1499 CCC 1520 CCC 1521

The answer, in writing

Church teaching

By the anointing of the sick the whole Church commends the sick to the suffering and glorified Lord. CCC 1499

Its first grace is strength, peace and courage in serious illness or the frailty of old age. CCC 1520

It helps the sick person unite himself more closely to Christ’s Passion. CCC 1521

Our words

It’s not only for the deathbed. Facing surgery, a serious diagnosis, or old age? Call the parish.

Short on time? Quick answer · 2 min

Video: The Anointing of the Sick, Bishop Robert Barron, published May 15, 2020. Checked 10 October 2026. Loads from YouTube only when you press play.

Next step: Find a parish near you

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Sources on this page

How we know · 3 Catechism paragraphs
  1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1499, 1520, 1521 (official text on vatican.va).

Stone & Incense restates Church teaching in plain words and cites every teaching claim. Our own wording is not an official Church text. Found a mistake? Report an errorCorrections.