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Organ transplant & the catholic church

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Martin Kordos
Martin Kordos

The Catholic Church approves of organ donation for transplantation as it can be considered an act of fraternal charity that respects the dignity of human life. For a donation to be moral, informed consent from the donor is required, any risks to the donor must be proportionate to the benefit to the recipient, and the donation must not seriously impair the donor's bodily functions. While both living and posthumous donations are allowed, there are greater restrictions on living donations to prevent assisted suicide.

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Organ transplant & the catholic church
To discuss the following What is the position of the Catholic Church on organ donation for the purpose of transplant? What moral principles are involved? What would motivate one to be an organ donor?
Organ donation is the process of removing tissues or organ's from a live , or recently dead , person to be used in another. People of all ages can become donors.
Organs and tissue that can be donated include the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, sm all bowel, stomach, corneas, heart valves, bone and skin.
Inter Vivos Transplant Takes place among the living. This can include a donation such as bone marrow. Cadaver transplant (postmortem) Donations typically involve an organ necessary for sustaining life. Includes donations such as a heart , lung, liver , or kidney.
Organ transplant & the catholic church
THE NEED: ORGAN DONORS AND PATIENTS WAITING 1988 through 2000 90000 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Organ Donors Patients Waiting Data courtesy of UNOS. As you can see the gap between the number of organ donors and patients waiting is growing rapidly. More people need to consider giving the gift of life.
In general , the Catholic Church approves organ transplantation. Pope Pius XII taught, A person may will to dispose of his body and to destine it to ends that are useful, morally irreproachable and even noble, among them the desire to aid the sick and suffering. One may make a decision of this nature with respect to his own body with full realization of the reverence which is due it.... This decision should not be condemned but positively justified
"Transplants are a great step forward in science's service of man, and not a few people today owe their lives to an organ transplant. Increasingly, the technique of transplants has proven to be a valid means of attaining the primary goal of all medicine - the service of human lifeThere is a need to instill in people's hearts, especially in the hearts of the young, a genuine and deep appreciation of the need for brotherly love, a love that can find expression in the decision to become an organ donor." - Pope John Paul II to attendees at the International Congress on Transplants in Rome August 2000
Pope John Paul II sums up the position of the Church in these words: The Gospel of life is to be celebrated above all in daily living, which should be filled with self-giving love for others. . . . Over and above such outstanding moments, there is an everyday heroism, made up of gestures of sharing, big or small, which build up an authentic culture of life. A particularly praiseworthy example of such gestures is the donation of organs, performed in an ethically acceptable manner, with a view to offering a chance of health and even of life itself to the sick who sometimes have no other hope (Evangelium Vitae, no. 86, original emphasis).
The Church has stated that both type of transplants are rightful , because they are considered fraternal charity. However the church did state that certain requirements must be met.
1. The necessity of informed consent legitimately given by the donor or one who speaks for him. 2. The physical and psychological risks incurred by the donor must be proportionate to the good sought for the recipient. The donor must be aware of these risks and the proportionate good.
3. To destroy the healthy functioning or intrinsic beauty of one's body, even to delay death of another, is morally wrong. Organ transplants are not morally acceptable if the donor or those who legitimately speak for him have not given their informed consent.
These donations can arise a moral dilemma. Such donations should not seriously impair or destroy bodily functions.
Example : A person is in need of an eye. If a living person decides to donate his eye to the other person it would be considered morally wrong. This is because such a sacrifice would seriously impair the donor.
Dealing with fraternal charity , which is the practice of charity with a love that recognizes another person as a child of God. The Catholic Church states that one has the responsibility for the integrity of ones body. There are set limits on inter vivos organ donations. Otherwise donations would potentially lead to assisted suicide.
Moral issues revolve around a definition of death. Those involved must have certain proof that death has occurred. The Church is against causing the death of a donor because of organ transplant , even if the death is inevitable due to natural causes.
The donor must be verifiably and legitimately dead. Proper, informed consent must have been given by the deceased donor with verification from a trustworthy source The remains of the donor must be treated with the same respect consistent with what was until death, and will be again, a temple of the Holy Spirit.

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Organ transplant & the catholic church

  • 2. To discuss the following What is the position of the Catholic Church on organ donation for the purpose of transplant? What moral principles are involved? What would motivate one to be an organ donor?
  • 3. Organ donation is the process of removing tissues or organ's from a live , or recently dead , person to be used in another. People of all ages can become donors.
  • 4. Organs and tissue that can be donated include the heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, sm all bowel, stomach, corneas, heart valves, bone and skin.
  • 5. Inter Vivos Transplant Takes place among the living. This can include a donation such as bone marrow. Cadaver transplant (postmortem) Donations typically involve an organ necessary for sustaining life. Includes donations such as a heart , lung, liver , or kidney.
  • 7. THE NEED: ORGAN DONORS AND PATIENTS WAITING 1988 through 2000 90000 80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 Organ Donors Patients Waiting Data courtesy of UNOS. As you can see the gap between the number of organ donors and patients waiting is growing rapidly. More people need to consider giving the gift of life.
  • 8. In general , the Catholic Church approves organ transplantation. Pope Pius XII taught, A person may will to dispose of his body and to destine it to ends that are useful, morally irreproachable and even noble, among them the desire to aid the sick and suffering. One may make a decision of this nature with respect to his own body with full realization of the reverence which is due it.... This decision should not be condemned but positively justified
  • 9. "Transplants are a great step forward in science's service of man, and not a few people today owe their lives to an organ transplant. Increasingly, the technique of transplants has proven to be a valid means of attaining the primary goal of all medicine - the service of human lifeThere is a need to instill in people's hearts, especially in the hearts of the young, a genuine and deep appreciation of the need for brotherly love, a love that can find expression in the decision to become an organ donor." - Pope John Paul II to attendees at the International Congress on Transplants in Rome August 2000
  • 10. Pope John Paul II sums up the position of the Church in these words: The Gospel of life is to be celebrated above all in daily living, which should be filled with self-giving love for others. . . . Over and above such outstanding moments, there is an everyday heroism, made up of gestures of sharing, big or small, which build up an authentic culture of life. A particularly praiseworthy example of such gestures is the donation of organs, performed in an ethically acceptable manner, with a view to offering a chance of health and even of life itself to the sick who sometimes have no other hope (Evangelium Vitae, no. 86, original emphasis).
  • 11. The Church has stated that both type of transplants are rightful , because they are considered fraternal charity. However the church did state that certain requirements must be met.
  • 12. 1. The necessity of informed consent legitimately given by the donor or one who speaks for him. 2. The physical and psychological risks incurred by the donor must be proportionate to the good sought for the recipient. The donor must be aware of these risks and the proportionate good.
  • 13. 3. To destroy the healthy functioning or intrinsic beauty of one's body, even to delay death of another, is morally wrong. Organ transplants are not morally acceptable if the donor or those who legitimately speak for him have not given their informed consent.
  • 14. These donations can arise a moral dilemma. Such donations should not seriously impair or destroy bodily functions.
  • 15. Example : A person is in need of an eye. If a living person decides to donate his eye to the other person it would be considered morally wrong. This is because such a sacrifice would seriously impair the donor.
  • 16. Dealing with fraternal charity , which is the practice of charity with a love that recognizes another person as a child of God. The Catholic Church states that one has the responsibility for the integrity of ones body. There are set limits on inter vivos organ donations. Otherwise donations would potentially lead to assisted suicide.
  • 17. Moral issues revolve around a definition of death. Those involved must have certain proof that death has occurred. The Church is against causing the death of a donor because of organ transplant , even if the death is inevitable due to natural causes.
  • 18. The donor must be verifiably and legitimately dead. Proper, informed consent must have been given by the deceased donor with verification from a trustworthy source The remains of the donor must be treated with the same respect consistent with what was until death, and will be again, a temple of the Holy Spirit.