How did the Council of Trent address extreme unction, later called anointing of the sick?

During the second period of the Council of Trent (1551–1552), the church formally addressed and explained the sacrament of extreme unction, which is now known as the anointing of the sick.1

While the council provided doctrinal clarification on this rite as part of its broader effort to define the seven sacraments, it did not fundamentally alter the practice of the time, which long regarded the sacrament as a "last rite" to be administered when death was imminent (in extremis). The council's work served to consolidate Roman Catholic teaching in response to Protestant challenges, ensuring that the administration of the sacraments was governed by specific, authoritative prescriptions.21

In modern practice, the church has moved toward a more lenient interpretation, emphasizing that the sacrament is intended for the seriously ill rather than exclusively for those at the point of death.23