The Minister of Extreme Unction

Since the remission of actual sins comes by extremeunction, and since the office of forgiving sins is proper to Christ’s priesthood, no lay person can administer this sacrament.

Nor can a deacon administer it. Scripture says (James5:14) with reference to extreme unction: “Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church . ..”

The conferring of extreme unction is not reserved to bishops; this sacrament is regularly conferred by any priest within the parish or district assigned to his care by competentecclesiastical authority.