A reader writes:
Have you heard of the ‘oil of gladness’? Someone told us that it is a non-sacramental oil used by lay people. My friend’s mother has been asked to administer it at school on the the feast of St. Peter & St. Paul to those recently confirmed and she’s a bit suspicious about it.
Firstly, what is this oil? Secondly, can a layperson administer it? (and if so, what would be the point in administering it if it is non-sacramental?)
Oh, if it makes any difference, we live in England!
I have to say that I haven’t heard of anyone using the phrase "oil of gladness" in this way. The phrase originally comes from the Old Testament. In Psalm 45:7, we read:
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
This is in a Messianic Psalm whose literal signification originally applied to the king in Jerusalem but which also applies to Christ, so the same verse gets quoted in reference to Jesus in Hebrews 1:9.
In these passages, "the oil of gladness" might refer to anointing oil used on kings of Israel at their coronation or it may refer more generally to the anointing oils that were used as part of daily Israelite culture and hygeine. These oils were often scented and putting them on could symbolize gladness in something like the way putting on perfume or cologne does in our culture.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the phrase "oil of gladness" turned up in some of the Church’s rites for blessing various oils, but I am not aware of any oil specifically called "the oil of gladness," though the term does show up in a non-technical sense (i.e., not as a literal name) in some church documents (see here).
That being said, it also wouldn’t surprise me if some folks had taken to calling particular oils "the oil of gladness." Folk Catholicism often generates unusual names for things.
As to whether laity can perform non-sacramental anointings with oil, this was addressed in the 1997 Instruction on Colaboration, where we read:
Article 9
The Apostolate to the Sick
ยง 1. In this area, the non-ordained faithful can often provide valuable collaboration. Innumerable works of charity to the sick are constantly provided by the non-ordained faithful either individually or through community apostolates. These constitute an important Christian presence to sick and suffering of the greatest importance. The non-ordained faithful particularly assist the sick by being with them in difficult moments, encouraging them to receive the Sacraments of Penance and the Anointing of the Sick, by helping them to have the disposition to make a good individual confession as well as to prepare them to receive the Anointing of the Sick. In using sacramentals, the non-ordained faithful should ensure that these are in no way regarded as sacraments whose administration is proper and exclusive to the Bishop and to the priest. Since they are not priests, in no instance may the non-ordained perform anointings either with the Oil of the Sick or ony other oil [SOURCE].
This is a rather sweeping statement, and since it has been the custom of lay people to perform at least some non-sacramental blessings with oil (at least on themselves) in Catholic history, there is some question in my mind about whether the Holy See meant the boldface statement above as a reference to non-sacramental anointings of sick people (given the fact that this is under the head of the apostolate to the sick) or whether they meant it to refer to anointings in general.
What I would do if I were your friend is this:
Here in America we have a book known as the Book of Blessings which contains many of the Church’s rites for the administration of sacramentals. Some of these are approved for laypeople to perform, and if this situation were occurring in America the first thing I would do is check the Book of Blessings to see what it says.
That’s an American document and wouldn’t apply in England, but there’s sure to be a British equivalent, so what I would do is ask to see a copy of the official ritual that she has been asked to perform. Then I would check it out to make sure that it really is an official ritual approved for use in the your country and not something that somebody just made up.
If it checks out–if it has the proper approvals from your conference of bishops and Rome–then I would feel comfortable in going ahead and performing the rite. Otherwise, I’d start asking more questions and would say that your friend’s concern about participating in the rite is warranted.
Hope this helps!
