In the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, Christ uses the anointing and prayers of the priest to give comfort and strength to the soul and to the body of one who is seriously ill. We meet Christ here to receive his healing, comfort, strength, and pardon.

Catholics who are seriously ill, mentally or physically, may receive the anointing. The anointing may also be received by one whose condition is so serious that it requires surgery with a general anesthetic or even if one is weak from old age.