Editing Anointing of the sick (section)

{{Short description|Religious anointing/sacrament}}
[[File:Extreme Unction Rogier Van der Weyden.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2| Detail of ''[[Seven Sacraments Altarpiece|The Seven Sacraments]]'' (1445) by [[Rogier van der Weyden]] showing the sacrament of ''Extreme Unction'' or ''Anointing of the Sick'']]

'''Anointing of the sick''', known also by other names such as unction, is a form of religious [[anointing]] or "unction" (an older term with the same meaning) for the benefit of a sick person. It is practiced by many [[Christian church]]es and [[Christian denomination|denominations]].

Anointing of the sick was a customary practice in many civilizations, including among the [[Ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] and early [[Judaism|Jewish]] communities. The use of oil for healing purposes is referred to in the writings of [[Hippocrates]].<ref>P. J. Hartin, Daniel J. Harrington James -- 2003 Page 267 "Anointing of the sick was a customary practice in both the Hellenistic and Jewish worlds. The use of oil for healing purposes is referred to in the writings of Hippocrates: "Exercises in dust differ from those in oil thus. Dust is cold, oil is warm."</ref><ref>[[John Lightfoot]] [[Horæ hebraicæ et talmudicæ]]: Hebrew and Talmudical exercitations Volume 2 - Page 155 "On the ninth day of the month Ab, and in the public fasts, anointing for dress is forbid; anointing not for dress is allowed." [Hebrew text] They anointed themselves often, not for excess, or bravery, or delight, but for the healing of some disease, "</ref>

Anointing of the sick should be distinguished from other religious anointings that occur in relation to other [[sacrament]]s, in particular [[baptism]], [[confirmation]] and [[ordination]], and also in the [[coronation]] of a [[monarch]].<ref name=ODCC>Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 {{ISBN|978-0-19-280290-3}}), article "unction"</ref>