Sakrament namaszczenia chorych w dziele nowej ewangelizacji

Abstract

The new evangelisation tends to an integral faith in the sense that it embraces the whole man and his whole existence. Now a disease, suffering, and death are some manifestations of human life. If therefore the new evangelisation is supposed to be brought to completion, then it must be read in the light of the Gospel, the light that Christ had shod on this difficult human experience: of a disease and death. In this context, one may say that the ministry and practice of the Church towards the sick and the dying are made part of the work of the new evangelisation. The Church proclaims the message of hope and the Christian sense of suffering and dying, thereby fulfilling the sense of the “Gospel and suffering” Through the Samaritan ministry toward the sick and suffering the Church fulfils the commandment of the love to one’s neighbour and makes the civilisation of love to be real. Now through the administration of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick the Church confers a salvific sense on human suffering and makes it part of salvation for all people.