Dist. 23
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-littera
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### Chapter I. *On the Sacrament of extreme unction.*

« Besides the foregoing there is also another Sacrament, namely the anointing of the sick, which is done at the last extremity with oil consecrated by a bishop ». « And there are three kinds of anointing ».

### Chapter II. *On the three kinds of anointing.*

« For there is an anointing which is done with chrism, which is called the principal anointing, because in it the Paraclete is principally given. Hence also, on account of the abundance of grace, it has two liquids mixed together, namely oil and balsam: the oil of conscience, the balsam of good repute. *Chrism* in Greek is called *unction* in Latin. Yet not every oil sanctified for anointing is called chrism, but only that which is mixed with balsam, with which the heads of kings and of bishops are anointed, with which also a priest anoints the baptized upon the crown of the head, and a bishop, by the laying on of the hand, anoints those to be confirmed upon the forehead. And there is another anointing, with which catechumens and the newly-born [in baptism] are anointed on the breast and between the shoulder-blades in the receiving of baptism. But the third anointing is that which is called the oil of the sick, of which we now treat ».

### Chapter III. *By whom this Sacrament was instituted.*

« This Sacrament of the anointing of the sick is read to have been instituted by the Apostles. For James says: *Is any sick among you? let him bring in the presbyters of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the Lord will relieve him; and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.* In which it is shown that this Sacrament was instituted from a twofold cause, namely for the remission of sins and for the relief of bodily infirmity. Hence it is established that he who faithfully and devoutly receives this anointing is relieved both in body and in soul, if nevertheless it is expedient that he be relieved in both. But if perchance it is not expedient for him to have bodily health, he acquires in this Sacrament that health which is of the soul ». « And as in the other Sacraments, so also in this one the *Sacrament* is one thing, the *reality of the Sacrament* another. The *Sacrament* is the exterior anointing itself; the *reality of the Sacrament* is the interior anointing, which is accomplished by the remission of sins and the increase of virtues. And if out of contempt or negligence this Sacrament is omitted, it is dangerous and damnable ».

### Chapter IV. *On the repetition of this Sacrament.*

Some ask whether this Sacrament can be repeated, since baptism and certain other Sacraments, once received, are not repeated. Augustine says: « A Sacrament is not to be repeated, and no injury is to be done to a Sacrament »; but he says this where he treats of the Sacrament of baptism and of ordination. Hence it does not seem that this is to be taken generally, but of the Sacrament of baptism, of confirmation, and of ordination, which are in no way to be repeated, because baptism, confirmation, and ordination are given only once and not more often. But the Sacrament of the altar and of penance and of marriage seems to be repeated often; because the Sacrament of the body is received often, penance is done frequently, marriage is contracted often. Why therefore can unction not likewise be repeated? If the disease does not return, let the medicine not be repeated; but if the disease cannot be checked, why should the medicine be forbidden? As prayer can be repeated, so too unction seems able to be repeated; for James there commemorates both, and each cooperates with the other toward conferring the relief of body and soul. Why therefore should it be denied that unction over the sick person can be repeated to obtain more often the health of mind and body, since for the same end prayer is to be repeated often? — But some wish it to be understood of every Sacrament that it is not to be repeated, namely according to the whole of that which pertains to the Sacrament, saying that certain Sacraments can be received more often, but certain ones not; nor yet are those which are received more often repeated in their entirety, as the Sacrament of the altar and of unction, which, although they be received more often, nevertheless, because the same host or the same oil is not blessed again, the Sacrament is not repeated with injury. — But someone will say: thus baptism too is not repeated, even if someone be baptized frequently, so long as the same water is not blessed again. — But it is one thing, they say, concerning the blessing of the water by which baptism is done, another concerning the blessing of the bread and of the oil. For baptism can be celebrated even in water that is not blessed, because that blessing is done only for reverence and seemliness, not by the power of the Sacrament. But the body of Christ cannot be confected except from consecrated bread, nor can that unction be done except from oil consecrated by a bishop; and therefore that sanctification seems to pertain to the power of the Sacrament. In marriage too each is blessed only once, not more often. For one is blessed, as Ambrose says, with a first and not with a second wife. If therefore, when it is said that a Sacrament is not to be repeated, nor injury done to it, you refer the ground of the saying to the sanctification of the reality by which the Sacrament is completed, then of every Sacrament this is generally true. But if to the receiving of the Sacrament, then of some it is true that they are not repeated by frequent reception, but of certain others not, because they are received frequently, as this Sacrament of unction, which in almost every Church is often repeated.

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