Who Should Receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?
Everyone needs to make their own decision as to when to ask for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Anyone who is in danger of death, as well as those who are seriously ill (anyone whose health is seriously impaired), someone who is going to have major surgery, or elderly persons (“if they have become notably weakened though no serious illness is present”) should ask to be anointed when the need arises. By no means is this an exhaustive list. Someone may be young in age or look “perfectly healthy” but suffer from some type of chronic illness that seriously impairs their well-being or health (alcoholism or other addictions, bulimia or anorexia, depression, cancer, heart disease or other ailments). There is no time limit or expiration to this anointing. As the Apostolic Constitution on the sacrament of the anointing of the sick states, “This sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after anointing and then falls ill or if, in the course of the same illness, the dange
