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Last Rites

Last Rites: The priest himself hold the chrismatory, as he administers the Last Rites to the dying man. The person on the right appears to be wearing a stole, suggesting that he is a priest too, not a deacon or an acolyte. The attitude of the dying mans left hand suggests that he is saying the rosary. For centuries after the Reformation, the Last Rites were seen as the most 'superstitious' of all the sacraments. It is only in the 20th century, with a renewed interest in healing, that some Anglican Priests have gone back to administering it. For Catholics too, the emphasis has changed since Vatican II to being one of a sacrament of healing.

Photograph by Aidan Semmens.

A Simon's Suffolk Churches production!