Aneling

/əˈniːlɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The last anointing or extreme unction administered to a dying person in Christian tradition; the sacrament for the sick.

Etymology

From Old English 'anulan' (an- + elan 'to oil'). Related to 'anoint.' This term appears in Middle English religious texts and refers to the sacramental practice.

Kelly Says

Aneling was so sacred in medieval Christianity that priests traveled long distances to give it—people believed it literally saved your soul in those final moments, making it perhaps history's most emotionally charged medical visit.

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