in articulo mortis

Meanings

1. At the moment of death. (In law, especially canon, or church, law, this expression can mean that someone has been given special permission by a competent authority to enter an organization or to receive some sort of exemption or permission at some point not long before they die, such as receiving diaconal or presbyteral ordination or entering religious profession.)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin in articulō mortis (literally “in the article of death”), from in (“during; at”, preposition governing the ablative) + articulō, ablative singular form of articulus (“a joint; figuratively: a point in time, a moment”) + mortis, genitive singular of mors (“death”).