Dist. 23, Art. 2, Q. 3
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/4/d/23/q/bon-sent-IV-d23-a2-q3
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### Question III. *In what place the unction ought to be made.*

Thirdly it is asked, in what place the unction ought to be made. And that the *whole body* ought to be anointed seems [to be the case]:

1. Because such an unction is either against *bodily* infirmity or against *spiritual* infirmity. If against *bodily* [infirmity]: since, then, mortal infirmity is diffused through the whole body, the whole ought to be anointed. If against *spiritual* [infirmity]: but spiritual infirmity does not concern any part determinately: therefore etc.

2. Likewise, the sacramental unction signifies the gratuitous and spiritual anointing which is in the soul; but the soul is whole in every part of the body: therefore etc.

3. Likewise, the unction of devotion regards the soul according to the intellective power; but "that [power] is the act of no bodily part": therefore no part of the body ought to be determinately anointed: therefore the whole body is to be anointed.

4. Likewise, when someone is purified from original [sin], he is wholly immersed, if there be sufficient water: therefore likewise, if the oil is sufficient, he seems to be wholly anointed.

**On the contrary:** 1. Matthew, chapter fifteen: *From the heart proceed evil thoughts, thefts,* etc.; according to which, all sins proceed from the heart: therefore, to signify the deletion of sins, it suffices to anoint *the place of the heart.*

2. Likewise, the unction of confirmation is made in a single part only, namely on the forehead: therefore by parity of reasoning the unction of this Sacrament [is to be made] *there* also.

3. Likewise, if [it is made] distinctly in several parts, then there are several unctions: therefore several Sacraments; for foot and hand differ in species according to the nature of their organization.

4. Likewise, if the anointing must be made in diverse parts; since it frequently happens that many members of the body are lost from sickness alone, it seems that sickness would cause [one] to lack the perfection of the Sacrament; which is not fitting.

It is asked, therefore, which members ought to be anointed; and whether mutilated [members] ought to be anointed.

### Conclusion

> *In extreme unction neither the whole body nor one determinate part, but seven parts are anointed.*

**I respond:** It must be said that in such matters, as has often been said, "the end imposes necessity on the things which are for the end." Since, therefore, this Sacrament is principally ordained to the deletion of venial [sins], according as is intimated from the text of blessed James; and venial [sins] are perpetrated by the soul according to its conjunction to the corrupt flesh, and this is through the powers by which it is united to the body as to something organic: therefore rightly, in the deletion of such sins, an exterior remedy ought to be applied, according to what has something sensible, about *the organs of those same powers.* Now there is a threefold power of the soul — according to which it governs the body and is instructed, and according to which it is related to what is exterior — namely the sensitive, the generative, and the progressive: and therefore the organs of these powers ought to be anointed. And since there are five organs serving the five senses, namely the mouth, the eyes, the nostrils, the ears, and the hands, and the loins serve the generative [power], and the feet the progressive power; therefore these seven parts are anointed. And so it is clear that neither the whole body ought to be anointed nor one determinate part.

**To the arguments for the first position.** To that which is objected concerning spiritual infirmity, that it does not determine a part; it must be said that it is true that it does not determine the part in which it is, yet it determines the part through which it is contracted. — And through this the two things that follow are clear: concerning the soul, that it is in every part of the body, and concerning the intellective power: because, although the soul according to its *essence* is whole in every part of the body, and according to the *intellective power* does not concern a determinate part of the body; nevertheless according to the *sensitive* and *operative power* it determines for itself certain organized parts of the body, in which it takes delight and according to whose delights it incurs diverse sins.

*To 4.* To that which is objected concerning baptism, it must be said that it is not similar, for the reason that in original [sin] the whole flesh is defiled, but in the commission of a venial sin some special act of a power is concerned.

**To the arguments for the second position.** *To 1.* To that which is objected on the opposite side concerning the heart, it must be said that although all things proceed from the affection of the heart, yet [they proceed] through the diverse powers ministering [to it].

*To 2.* To that which is objected concerning the unction of confirmation, it must be said that it is not similar, for the reason that that [unction] is against pusillanimity and shame determinately; but this [is] against venial sins, which regard the acts of all the powers.

*To 3.* To that which is objected, that therefore [there are] several Sacraments; it must be said that those parts are not anointed except insofar as they concur into one [end], to which they serve and according to whose beck they are moved; and therefore, because the unction is in them according to one nature and by relation to one [end], therefore it is one Sacrament.

*To 4.* To that which is objected concerning those who lose these members, it must be said that although they be mutilated, nevertheless they ought to be anointed. And if you object that there is an implication of falsity in the form; it must be said that this is false, because the blind frequently would wish to see beautiful things, and the deaf desire hearing, although they do not hear: and therefore they are rightly to be anointed on such members, because through such members they either sinned or wished to sin, at least by venial appetite.

*If you should ask:* since through the genital members guilt is most of all contracted in men, whether venial or mortal be perpetrated, why are they not anointed? it must be said that this is on account of the foulness of the member, on account of which rational nature blushes not only to touch, but to see, and — what is more — to name, and still more blushes to think [of it]; and therefore far be it that the holy oil should be applied there, but in place of those members the loins are anointed. I believe also that consideration is given to the modesty of the sick, because there is no one using reason who would not blush to show those members to others, indeed [who] himself blushes to see them.

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