Pope: Anointing the Sick Gives Strength to the Seriously Ill and Elderly

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The sacrament of anointing the sick is not just for those who are nearing the end of their lives, Pope Francis said.

“Let us remember that the anointing of the sick is one of the sacraments of healing, of renewal, which heals the spirit,” the pope said in a video message released July 2 by the Pontifical World Prayer Network.

A screenshot from Pope Francis’ video message released July 2, 2024, shows a man receiving a blessing as part of his prayer intention for July, which is dedicated to the care of the sick. (CNS/Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network screenshot)

The network publishes a short film in which the Pope offers his specific prayer intention each month. In July, the Pope dedicated his prayer intention to the pastoral care of the sick.

“The anointing of the sick is not a sacrament intended only for those who are at the point of death,” the pope said, emphasizing that “it is important to make this clear.”

A priest administering the sacrament doesn’t necessarily mean “goodbye to life,” he said. “Thinking that way means abandoning all hope.”

“When someone is very sick, it is good to give them the anointing of the sick. And when someone is older, it is good for them to receive the anointing of the sick,” Pope Francis said, emphasizing that it is not necessary to wait until a person experiencing a serious illness is at the point of death to receive the sacrament.

“Let us pray that the sacrament of anointing the sick may impart God’s power to those who receive it and to their loved ones, and that it may become for all an increasingly visible sign of compassion and hope,” he said.

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