Vatican: Pope's condition 'very grave'
Pontiff suffers cardiocirculatory collapse, septic shock
Friday, April 1, 2005 Posted: 2:27 AM EST (0727 GMT)
VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II's condition is "very grave," Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said early Friday, the first time the Vatican has used such language to describe the pontiff's latest health crisis.
In the Catholic Church, the last rites began as a ritual of healing, but the emphasis shifted over time to forgiving the sins of a dying person as preparation for going to heaven.
The church has tried to return to the original meaning of the sacrament by emphasizing that it is not only for those who are close to death but also for anyone who is ill, by calling it the Anointing of the Sick or the Sacrament of Anointing.
The Anointing of the Sick is performed by a priest who applies oil blessed by a bishop to the organs of the five senses -- eyes, ears, nostrils, lips and hands -- feet, and, for men, loins, although the last step is not always followed.
In cases in which death might come before the ritual can be completed, the priest might anoint only the forehead.
Sources: Catholic Encyclopedia; American Catholic
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VATICAN CITY (CNN) -- Pope John Paul II's condition is "very grave," Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said early Friday, the first time the Vatican has used such language to describe the pontiff's latest health crisis.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe...pe1/index.html