The Irish standard., 1907-03-02
DOCTORS QUERY
Responsibility Of the Practi-
toner Upon Whose
Advice a Patient is Deprived
Of Holy Communion.

the following difficulty that has con-
fronted mo in my own professional
career. A patient who had been sut-
fsring from diabetes for some time and
whom I was attending was suddenly
taken with pneumonia, which devel-
fession about two months before this.
The priests We're called and found the
patient in a semi-conscious condition,
making some attempt, az I thought.
to bless himself. Extreme JUNCTION was
administered by the priest. who eN-
pressed also the desire to give him
Holy Communion. This, in view Of
the profuse expectoration from which
the patient suffered, seemed to me
somewhat dangerous, as he might not
be able to retain the sacred particle.
with me in this fear, and accordingly
the priest desisted.
Was this patient absolved from his
sins sacramentally, as though he had
actually confessed them with full mem
tai capacity? And did tho privation
OF the Blessed Sacrament affect the
condition of the patients salvation?
I ask this for my own guidance in
cares similar to this where the re-
zponsibility of such privation largely
rests upon the decision Of the plysi-
-1> H,., -.
is disposed to abide.
--Medicus Sollcitus.
trene Unction without previous con-
fesbion, because the pa tient is morally
or physically unable to confess either
by words or Intelligent signs, the ritual
tbliSAs him to elicit from the patient
stYrie sign or sorrow for sin. Such II
sign would be tile attempt to make the
cross with the right hand, as Catholics
are accustomed to do. Indeed any
movement that would even remotely
indicate either that the patient is n
Catholic or that he feels SORROW for
SIu, HouRu lllc tCiulSilC Npil-
dition for giving his sacramental abso-
luton such as lle receives in confess
sion; for it may be safely assumed that
4 protested Catholic desires to to what
God through His Church requires of
him at the hour or when In danger OF
death. II there be a doubt about the
patients realizing his condition. as
when he is in mere stupor, the priest,
after attempting to elicit SORROW for
sin, will give him conditional absolu-
ton, so that if the patient is disposed
ment. However, as We never fully
know whether q patient who happens
to fall into apparent complete coma
may nevertheless be conscious of APP
proaching death and of his sins and
srieve over them, the duty of the
priest is to let him have the benefit Of
the doubt, and hence always to give
sacramental tcondition3D absolution
before administering Extreme JUNCTION.
Tho Sins of the patient, if he be peni-
tent, are thus absolutely forgiven in
virtue of the power OF Christ conf
1i1itted to the Apostles and their sue
cessors, although he has not actually
confessed Them
What Extreme JUNCTION Does.
But il the patient is thus absolved
from his sins by reason OF his inward
sorrow. for the same. what further need
is there for Extreme Unction or of
Holy. Communion. assuming that the
latter can be given without risk OF
irreVerence or inconvenience Is it not
true that d soul freed from sin is in
right condition to enter Paradise? Not
necessarily. A father may forgive the
theft committed by his son, because
the latter is sorry for the act. But if
there is In, the youth a tendency to
peculate and to deceive, his sorrow will
not be a sufficient reason for the father
TO admit him to his business confidence
or, to a share in his financial RESPONSE
bilities. until he has tried him by
method Of sustained correction calcu-
lated to eliminate %hc vicious inclina-
ton. Similarly, the forgiveness of
sins as an explicit result of a penitent
disposition, through sacramental alb
solution, does not take away the habit
{ of evil inclination to sin for which man
may be directly responsible on account
Z OF his former acts or neglects. Whilst
( this inclination to evil, which life and
4 religion We're given him that he might
root out by penance and prayer still
i clings to his SOUL it unfits him for
heaven. -
6 =Now:th Sacrament of Extreme Unc-
ton supplies special grace of
strength to the soul by which this ten
dsncy is weakened or eliminated. 1t
4 acts in virtue Of the merits of Christ,