Faced with sickness and death men have from prehistoric times experienced a deep sense of anguish and dread. This book describes how the Christian Church encounters this anguish with specific sacramental remedies based on the recognition of the essential unity of body and soul. In the first part, Father Didier describes the theological considerations implicit in the ritual acts of anointing the sick and the dying and traces the long history of the rites themselves from apostolic times to the present, including an account of the Maundy Thursday chrismal Mass
during which the bishop blesses the sacred oils to be used in his diocese. Father Didier then examines the subject of the sacrament and emphasizes that it is primarily concerned with healing and is by no means intended for the dying alone. Visitation of the sick, moreover, is considered so important that it is a liturgical office in the Roman Ritual. The final part of this book discusses the sacrament of Christian death and the rites connected with it, the meaning and significance of the term viaticum and the importance attached by the Church to this sacrament which is directed towards the integral salvation of the dying person as he makes the final great act of faith.