Essays In Pastoral MedicineWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Religion
Essays In Pastoral Medicine
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
First aid in illness and injury; Medicine
The priest may be obliged to administer baptism, to hear confession,
to give the Viaticum and Extreme Unction. Before going to visit a
smallpox patient let him find out from the physician in attendance
whether the patient can receive the Viaticum, whether he can swallow
it or not, whether he can open his mouth enough to take it. Ask also
about the possibility of vomiting. Only a very small particle is to be
brought in the pyx.
The leather cover for the pyx should not be taken into a smallpox
room. Set the pyx inside a corporal, wrap the corporal in paper, and
put this package into the pocket of the Hawes suit before entering the
room.
As to the use of a stole,--the moralists say "graviter peccatur ab eo
qui sine urgente necessitate sine ulla sacra veste unctionem
administrat." There is a grave necessity here for doing away with the
stole because of the difficulty in disinfecting it, unless you have
one made that can be put into boiling water for ten minutes before you
leave the patient's house.
The oil-stocks should contain only as much oil as is necessary for the
single occasion, because what remains, with the cotton, should be
burned in the patient's house.
Do not remain in the room longer than you must unless you have had
smallpox. If there is any prayer or ceremonial that can be omitted, by
all means leave it out. Lehmkuhl says that the penitential psalms and
the litanies may be omitted. Baptise by the short form.
St. Alphonsus Liguori (_Theol. Mor._, lib. 5, tr. 5, n. 710) tells us
there is no obligation to anoint both eyes and both ears, "si adsit
periculum infectionis," but danger of infection is not materially
increased by anointing both sides. {178} Lehmkuhl adds, "excepta
dispensatione Sedis Apostolicae addatur unctio pedum." When the feet
are to be anointed do not touch the bed-clothing,--tell the nurse to
uncover the feet.
St. Alphonsus (_loc. cit.,_ n. 729) speaking of extreme unction has
these words: "Pastor ratione officii tenetur sub mortali dare lis qui
petunt, nisi justa causa excuset: etiam tempore pestis, modo possit
absque periculo vitae; cum eo non teneri docent _Tann. Dian._," etc.
If you have not had smallpox you certainly risk your life by going
into the room of a smallpox patient, and the danger of infection is
greater in typhus; but suppose a pastor were inclined to take
advantage of the excuse, he would be obliged at any risk to go into
such a room to hear confession or to baptise, and if he hears
confession he may as well stay for the anointing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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