Q: We plan 2 baptism the weekend of Pentecost: an infant Baptism outside of Mass, and Baptism of a child of Catechetical age that participates in RCIA. I realize that anointing with Oil of Catechumens may be omitted. My understanding is that the anointing with Chrism can not be omitted. May the celebrant wear a glove or use a cotton swab when anointing? Certainly we will sanitized hands prior to baptism and anointing. I ask because of other information I have seen that indicates that the minister of Confirmation must use a bare thumb when anointing.
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A: I haven’t seen anything universal on this, but the Italian Episcopal Conference is calling for the minister to wear a mask and single-use gloves for baptism and anointing the sick. I’m concluding from this that it is all right to anoint with any oil in these two sacraments if the minister is gloved.
Regarding confirmation, a dubium has been sent to the Vatican requesting the possibility of anointing with an instrument instead of the thumb. Stay tuned.