The Anointing of the Sick is a Christian rite in which a priest or minister prays for someone who is ill and applies blessed oil to the body. Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and some Protestant churches observe it, with the form and meaning varying by tradition.
What happens during the rite?
In a Roman Catholic parish, a priest anoints the person’s forehead and hands with the Oil of the Sick. He extends his hands in prayer for healing, forgiveness of sins, and strength in illness. The rite may take place in a home, hospital, or nursing facility and is usually brief. The Catholic Church treats it as one of the seven Catholic sacraments.
The minister may invite others to pray, but the central actions are the prayer and anointing. In some traditions, the person also receives laying on of hands; this can accompany the oil rather than replace it.
How do Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant churches differ?
Roman Catholics call it a sacrament. An Eastern Orthodox parish typically celebrates Holy Unction, with seven priests each anointing part of the body with olive oil and reciting prayers that include absolution. The rite is a holy mystery rather than one of the seven sacraments in Orthodox theology.
The Episcopal Church’s Book of Common Prayer provides a Visitation of the Sick with prayers and provisions for laying on of hands and anointing with oil. Lutheran worship books also provide an anointing for pastoral care. Many Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, and nondenominational churches include anointing with oil in prayer for the sick, though they may not count it as a sacrament.
Why is oil used?
James 5:14–18 supplies the main biblical example. The KJV wording says, “Is any among you sick? … let him anoint him with oil” (James 5:14). Across these traditions, oil is a visible sign of prayer, healing, and care. It does not replace medical care or make physical healing certain.
The oils vary: a Catholic priest uses oil blessed specifically for the sick, while an Orthodox priest ordinarily uses olive oil. Congregations without set forms may simply ask a pastor or prayer team to anoint a person with oil.
Who receives it, and can it be repeated?
Anyone may ask a pastor or priest about the rite for a seriously ill person or someone nearing death. In Catholic practice, adults preparing for initiation also receive the Anointing of the Sick as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation. The sacrament can be received more than once when illness worsens. Eastern Orthodox Holy Unction is ordinarily received once in life, though pastoral prayer and repeated visitation may occur in later illness.
What should a visitor expect?
Visitors may see a small cross of oil on the forehead or hands, a laying on of hands, and a short prayer. Some rites also include confession, Scripture, or Communion when appropriate. Guests are welcome to participate in prayer but should follow the minister’s directions about silence and movement. The Catholic Last Rites may include an anointing when death is near, but the title names a broader set of pastoral rites rather than this sacrament alone.
For a hospital patient, ask the hospital chaplain or the person’s home parish before the visit. A priest or minister can explain whether the rite is available there and arrange any preparation.