1. Four Central Roman Catholic
Beliefs

2. Roman Catholicism
• Largest branch of Western Christianity
• Separated from Protestant Christianity during
Reformation of the 16th century
• Beliefs that separate Catholics from their
reformed brethern:
1. Role of tradition in addition to Scripture
2. Belief in 7 Sacraments
3. Existence of Purgatory
4. Communion of Saints

3. Tradition
• Scripture does not stand alone must be
interpreted only by the Church
• Anointing the Sick is the most important
interpretation

4. Sacraments
• acraments are outward signs or symbols instituted by
Jesus
• Provide grace for believers at critical stages of life:
-birth (baptism)
-coming into adulthood (Eucharist and Reconciliation)
-coming of age (Confirmation)
-mature vocation in life (marriage or Holy Orders)
-End of life (Anointing the Sick)

5. Sacraments Cont’d
• Can also be defined as ritualized meeting
between God and humans
• Powerful symbols that bring about the
spiritual reality which they symbolize

6. Purgatory

7. Purgatory
• Purification to achieve the necessary holiness
to enter heaven i.e. repenting for sins
• Catholics believe in levels of sin
-Venial sin: weakens but does not destroy one’s
relationship with God. Ex: using foul language
-Mortal sin: does break one’s relationship to
God. ex: murdering one’s neighbor

8. Forgiveness of sins
• Mortal Sin forgiven through Sacrament of
Reconciliation (confessionals) or perfect
sorrow and repentance for sin
• Venial sins forgiven through same two means
and by imperfect sorrow

9. Purgatory Cont’d
• Purgatory also provides a place for ordinary
person who may not have the faith of a great
saint, but who does not deserve Hell
• State of Purgatory =Heaven
• Catholic prayers for the dead helps the
deceased through Purgatory and into Heaven

10. Communion of Saints
• The spiritual union of the members of
the Christian Church, living and the
dead, those on earth, in heaven, and for those
who are in that state of purification
• Members help each other get to Heaven
• Includes the Church Triumphant (Saints in
Heaven)
• Church Suffering (souls in Purgatory)
• Church Militant (Church here on Earth)

11. The Earliest Traditions
• Passion narratives were earliest part of the
Gospels, they stress the reality and
redemptive value of the suffering and death of
Jesus
• Suffering and death have a value in Christian
view of the world
• Living life in imitation of Jesus and Baptism to
join themselves to the suffering, death, and
resurrection of Jesus

12. Earliest Traditions Cont’d
Early church preferred that a new believer be
baptized by:
going down 3 steps (symbolizing Jesus’ 3 days
in the tomb)
into a pool of blessed water (symbolizing
chaos, death and need for a new creation)
being immersed 3 times then ascending 3
steps (symbolizing Father, Son, Holy Spirit)

13. Cont’d
• Person to be baptized wore white garments to
symbolize a sign of new life
• One could be baptized by pouring water on
forehead when immersion is life threatening
or impractical
• Anointing the sick with holy oil so that the
prayers will help them spiritually and bodily
• Priests anoints the sick person to join his
suffering to that of Jesus

15. Death in Dark
& Middle Ages
• Death was an omnipresent
fact of existence
• A great deal of emphasis
was placed on the fear one
should have at the Last
Judgment.
• This fear is illustrated by
the Medieval hymn Dies
Irae (Day of Wrath) which
stresses need &
impossibility of being
prepared as possible for
the judgment

16. Comfort with
dealing with death
• Relics (bones, prayer
books, or clothing of the
saint) were venerated
(glorified)
• Relics were associated with
saints, holy people who
assumed to be in Heaven
praying for the people on
Earth
• Veneration of relics shows
comfort w/ presence and
care of deceased.
• For sick or dying, there has
been a sacrament presently
known as the “Sacrament of
Anointing the Sick”

17. Sacrament of
Anointing the Sick
• At diverse times in Church
history, went under various names
(holy oil, unction (sacred
anointing) of the sick, blessing of
consecrated oil, unction of
God, office (in the sacrament) of
the unction.
• Purpose is to help dying person
join their death to that of Jesus
• Renamed “Extreme Unction”
during late 1100s for one of two
reasons:
• It would be the extreme or
final anointing of a person’s
earthly life
• It was the last in a series of
anointings for a person
(Baptism, Confirmation, Hol
y Orders, etc)

18. Saints
Multiple Saints were
venerated as patron saint of
death and dying during Dark
& Middle Ages:
• Mary: Mother of Jesus
• Saint Anne:
Grandmother of Jesus
• Stephen: First martyr
• Joseph
• Martha: sister of
Lazarus
• Archangel Michael
• Magi from Mathews
Gospel

19. Communion
of Saints
There was always a
consciousness not only of
death, but of a saint to help.
This is an indicator of what
was called the “Communion
of Saints”.

20. After Death…
• One would have Mass
celebrated for them and then
would be buried in sacred
ground.
• Sacred ground could be
denied to those found to have
died in open and flagrant sin

21. Reformation
• In the 1500s, Western
Christendom was
fractured into many
denominations. One of
them was the “Roman
Catholic branch of
Christianity”
• The actual spark for the
Reformation was the
“sale” of indulgences.

22. Indulgences
• Prayers and other good
works, done as part of the
Communion of Saints to help
the deceased, were often
described as indulgences.
• By the late 1400s, the good
works in question were too
often gifts of cash often to
expand the art collections of
various less then ideal Popes
• This emphasis on cash would
enrage Martin Luther and
many other scholars and
reformers

23. Martin Luth
• Martin Luther sought to reform
the doctrine of Purgatory, making
it more reliant on a change of
heart and less reliant on monetary
gifts.
• In many cases, the idea of a state
of cleansing was retained, but the
ability of the living to pray for and
assist the deceased was rejected.
• By 1530, the idea of Purgatory was
practically eliminated in the
Reformed traditions.

25. POPE JOHN XXIII CONVENED VATICAN II
Update the catholic church
• Extreme Unction
• Anointing the sick
• Commendation of the dying

26. CHANGES MADE FOR CARE OF THE SICK AND
DYING
Having two separate rituals. One for the
sick and one for the dying
Both aspects of the sacrament could be
celebrated privately or communal
The sacraments for old age
Deacons as primary ministers of the
sacrament

27. CHANGES MADE FOR CARE OF THE SICK AND
DYING
 Spouse of a roman catholic allowed to
be buried in a catholic cemetery
 The burden of denying suicide victims
in consecrated ground

29. PREPARATIONS FOR ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Once one is aware of sickness they ask
priest for anointing of the sick.
Priest arrives bringing
• Holy oil
• Eucharist
• A Stole
Priest gives Confessions and grant
absolution before the anointing of the
sick

30. ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Anointing of the sick takes place in large
public room that consist of
• Temporary altar with a white cloth upon it
and a crucifix
• Beeswax candles
• The holy oils
• A bible
• The ritual book for anointing the sick

31. ANOINTING OF THE SICK
 Begins with prayers and bible readings
 Priest will then bless the oils and anoint
the ill patient on the forehead and the
palm of her hands
 Priest will give the sick patient the
Eucharist

32. IF PATIENT SICKNESS CONTINUES
 Priest will bring Eucharist once a month
and provide opportunity for confession
and spiritual direction
 May receive anointing of the sick
regularly from the priest

33. THE PATIENCE DEATH SEEMS IMMINENT
The priest will perform the
Commendation of the Dying
• Sub-ritual to the anointing of the sick
• Performed if death is forthcoming

34. COMMENDATION OF THE DYING
Give absolution without the need for
private confession
Sacraments are only for the living
• If Unsure if patients alive church will
celebrate a conditional sacrament
Dying Patient will be anointed on the
forehead and palms of the hand

35. COMMENDATION OF THE DYING
 If patient is still alive she will receive
communion called Holy Viaticum
 Records kept in a special book—the
Sacramental Registry,

36. THE DEATH OF THE PATIENT
 Once the patient dies the priest
consoles the family
 Then make arrangements for the funeral
 Local pastor determined of the dead
was a practical catholic and can be
buried by the catholic church

37. BURIAL
 There is a Vigil (wake service)
celebrated the evening before the dead
will be buried
• It has an official text yet It’s a
sacramental
• Call to prayer and bible readings
• A reflection of the Christian meaning of
death
• Should be very clear that people are
praying for the decease not to the
decease

38. BURIAL
 Next morning family and friends visit the
funeral home
 Body transported to the church for Funeral
Mass
• Marked by celebration that the deceased is
with God
• Church stress that loss is temporary
• Use white vestments as a sign of rejoicing in
new life

39. FUNERAL MASS
 Priest sprinkles holy water on the
casket and covers it with a white cloth
to recall the deceased baptism
• On the day of her baptism the deceased
was clothed with Christ. At the time of the
resurrection may she join him in eternal
life
 At the end of the mass Priest say
special prayer for the deceased

40. CEMETERY
 There will be a consecration of the
grave, asking God’s grace of eternal rest
 Everyone returns to the designated
family member home
• Priest moderates a discussion of the
deceased for any unfinished business
 The deceased will have an immediate
personal judgment after death.