The short answer
Anointing of the Sick is a Catholic sacrament for people who are seriously ill, not only for people who are dying. It can be received more than once, including before a major operation and again if an illness worsens. Only a priest can give it. In a hospital you ask through the chaplaincy or spiritual care office, and you do not have to wait for a crisis.
Anointing is not reserved for the dying. Serious illness is enough.
It is fitting to receive it before a serious operation.
It may be repeated if the illness worsens, or in a later serious illness.
Only a priest or bishop can anoint. Deacons and lay chaplains cannot.
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The full explanation.
The misunderstanding worth clearing up first
Many Catholics believe Anointing of the Sick is what happens when someone is about to die. So they do not ask for it until the situation is desperate. Sometimes they never ask at all. The Catechism answers this in one sentence. The sacrament "is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."
For someone with cancer, that covers far more ground than a deathbed. A serious diagnosis counts. So does a major operation, a hospital stay for complications, a recurrence, or a switch to a harder line of treatment.
When people with cancer commonly receive it
The Catechism names one occasion that comes up constantly in cancer care: "It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation." Surgery to remove a tumor fits that description. So does a stem cell transplant, and other major procedures.
It also says the sacrament can be repeated, which surprises people. "If during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated." And if someone recovers, then falls gravely ill again later, they may receive it again. Cancer is often a long illness with several turning points. The sacrament is not a one-time ration to be spent carefully.
Who can and cannot give it
Only a priest or bishop. This matters in practice. Hospital chaplaincy teams also include deacons, lay chaplains, and volunteer ministers of Holy Communion. None of them can anoint. A lay chaplain can sit with you, pray with you, bring Communion, and get a priest called. But if what you want is anointing, say the word "anointing" and say "priest." That way the request goes to the right person.
The Ethical and Religious Directives are the rules that govern Catholic health care in the United States. They ask hospitals to make priests available for this. They also add something important for families. The sacrament is normally given when the sick person is fully awake and aware. But it "may be conferred upon the sick who have lost consciousness or the use of reason, if there is reason to believe that they would have asked for the sacrament while in control of their faculties."
What it involves
The priest lays hands on the sick person in silence. He prays over them. He anoints the forehead and the hands with oil blessed by the bishop. It takes a few minutes. Family and friends can be there, and often are.
The Catechism lists what the sacrament is for. None of it is a promise of cure. It gives strength, peace and courage to bear the illness. It forgives sins if the person could not get to confession. It joins the person to Christ's suffering. It restores health if that is good for their salvation. And it prepares them for passing over to eternal life. The careful wording about healing is deliberate, and it is old.
How to actually arrange it
In a hospital, call spiritual care or chaplaincy yourself. Do not ask a nurse to pass the message along. Ask when a priest is next on site. Many hospitals have one for a set number of hours, with an on-call arrangement overnight.
If you are at home or in hospice, call your parish office. Parishes are used to this request and will usually come. If you are traveling for treatment, try the nearest parish to the cancer center. It very often has a standing arrangement with the hospital.
If the situation is getting worse quickly, say so plainly when you call. That is not being dramatic. It is the information the person on the phone needs in order to prioritize the visit.
A note for family members who are not Catholic
You do not need to be Catholic to arrange this for someone you love. You do not need to explain your own beliefs to anyone. Hospital chaplaincy departments handle requests like this every day, and they will not ask you to justify it. If you are unsure whether the patient would want it, say that out loud to the chaplain. That is exactly the conversation they are trained for.
Sources
Words to know
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Common questions
Is this the same as last rites?
Not exactly. People often use last rites to mean anointing, but the Church's own order is confession where possible, then anointing, then Holy Communion as Viaticum. The Catechism describes the Eucharist, not anointing, as the last sacrament of the earthly journey.
Does asking for it mean the doctors have given up?
No. The Catechism says the fitting time has arrived when a person begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, and that it is fitting to receive it just before a serious operation. Many people receive it while still in active treatment.
Can I receive it more than once?
Yes. If the condition becomes more serious during the same illness, it may be repeated. If someone recovers and later becomes gravely ill again, they can receive it again.
Who can give it?
Only a priest or bishop. Deacons, lay chaplains, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion cannot anoint, though they can pray with you, bring Communion, and arrange for a priest.
What if the patient is unconscious?
The Ethical and Religious Directives say the sacrament is normally celebrated when the person is fully conscious, but may be given to someone who has lost consciousness if there is reason to believe they would have asked for it while in control of their faculties.
What actually happens?
The priest lays hands on the sick person in silence, prays over them, and anoints the forehead and hands with blessed oil. It is short. Family can be present.
Questions to ask your doctor
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-30 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-11Next planned review: 2028-07-30
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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