Anointing Of The Sick

[Archaeology cat]

Is this ever given to children who have not made their first confession or first Communion, yet? If so, under what circumstances?

[cappie]

Canon 1004 states that anointing may be administered to those who have "reached the use of reason." Church law presumes the use of reason to set in at the age of seven (canon 97), although it is possible that, in a specific case, a given child might attain the use of reason prior to turning seven.

 

Canon 1004 also states that one must "begin to be in danger of death" in order to receive the sacrament licitly. The canon does not require that one be at death’s door before seeking anointing, but death (as opposed to any other chronic but survivable condition) must be a genuine possibility before administering the sacrament.

 

If the child had been in danger of death, and notwithstanding his ineligibility for the sacrament of anointing because of age, the child younger that 7 is very likely eligible to receive the sacrament of confirmation (canons 889 and 891). I know this comes as a surprise to many Catholic parents (and to not a few clergy!), but the 1983 Code of Canon Law is quite clear that confirmation is proper under certain circumstances.