Question
My pastor chewed out my sister when she called the rectory to have our recently deceased mother anointed for last rites. He said there is no such thing as "last rites" any more and that you do not anoint dead bodies. Why has this changed?
-- Leery in Logan
Answer
The sacraments are for the living! We anoint people while they are with us here on earth and so this is why your pastor would not have anointed your mother who has died. Those that are now with God are in no need of our earthly sacraments.
"Last Rites" as a term was dropped when the Pastoral Care and the Anointing of the Sick was promulgated in 1983. For one reason, there are more "rites" or rituals that are celebrated, even after someone has died, the Order of Christian Funerals for one. So "last rites" is a misnomer. Secondly, we are assuming wrongly that our deceased brothers and sisters are not enjoying the "rites" of the heavenly banquet that we proclaim through our liturgical and theological beliefs.