i 9 4 THE MEANS OF GRACE 



treme Unction in order to remind the faithful of their last 

 end and to aid them in repressing evil desires and leading 

 a good Christian life. 14 



3. Duty of Administering Extreme Unc- 

 tion. — Every pastor engaged in the cure of souls 

 is bound in justice and under pain of mortal sin 

 (ex iustitia et sub gravi) to administer Extreme 

 Unction, either himself or through another 

 priest, whenever he is asked to do so and able to 

 comply with the request. There are, however, 

 excuses exempting him from this obligation, 

 e. g., serious danger to his own life arising from 

 contagious disease or other causes, but even this 

 excuse would not be valid unless he were sure that 

 the patient to whom he is called is properly pre- 

 pared for death. Needless to say, a good shep- 

 herd will risk his life for his sheep, especially if 

 there are no other priests available. Priests who 

 are not pastors are bound to administer this Sac- 

 rament under pain of mortal sin only ex caritate 

 in case of extreme necessity. 148 



A special duty incumbent upon pastors is to 

 administer Extreme Unction in time, i. e., before 

 the patient has lost consciousness and all reason- 

 able hope for his recovery has vanished. This 

 obligation is shared by relatives, physicians, and 



est enim simul et mortuorum sacra- 14. — Cone. Trident., Sess. XIV, D* 



mentum, et peccata tnortalia remit- Extr. Unct., Prooem. 

 tert cum attritione potest." 14a Codex luris Can., c. 938 sq. 



14 Cat. Rom. t P. II, c. 6, qu. 1, 



