8 things Catholics MUST know before donating organs

What is the Catholic Church's teaching?

• If we are Temples of the Holy Spirit, may I donate organs or my body to science? Will this dishonor the body God gave me?

• The Nicene Creed professes that, "I believe in the resurrection of the body." What if someone else is using my heart, will this affect my resurrection?

• How do we have a funeral without all my organs or body?

• How can I be sure my donated organs are handled with dignity and are buried in holy ground?

1. Donor Conditions for Catholics

The church believes that the resurrection does not depend on the body's current state. Pope St John Paul II viewed organ donation as a profound expression of Christian love and charity. CCC 2296 states organ donation after death is "a noble and a meritorious act and encouraged as an expression of generosity" as long as it respects the dignity of the human person and the integrity of the body. Decades of popes, bishops, conferences of bishops and bioethicists have consistently encouraged faithful Catholics to consider organ donation as Christian stewardship. "Greater love has no man" writes St John (13:15) than to give their life, perform selfless acts of service and sacrifice for others. So, what are the caveats and conditions?

• It must be voluntary, free and be done with informed consent. When Uncle Knuckles dies, we cannot SELL his body or parts for profit.

• There can be no coercion or pressure. It's not about giving, it's about cheerful giving. The church supports gifts given with love. 

• The church rejects organ trafficking or exploitation of organs--more on this in #7. Ask questions or stop the donation any time the process feels wrong. 

• The family of the Catholic donor must ascertain the credibility of hospitals involved. Review all fine print before signing--see #4 on brain death. 
  • If organs can be used, a registered transplant hospital will send a team who follows chain of custody from extraction to disposition.
  • If organs are unusable, the fine print must indicate next steps. This must meet with the satisfaction of the family. Once the team takes organ custody, spiritually, the family and donor are not responsible--provided that all due diligence was performed in good faith.  

2. How do I become an organ donor?

• Medical power of attorney documents must specify what can and cannot be donated. Without details, others make decisions. 

• Declare in writing that a hospital chaplain who is a Catholic priest AND the hospital bioethicist are both involved in the determination of death. Only God decides the best time for us to come home. If patient data is altered or skewed to show otherwise, it is not God's decision. Many "Venerable" and "Blessed" in the Church Triumphant are seeking earthly canonization, but need us to ask their heavenly intercession for their miracles. Miracles happen daily in health care.

• We sign up as organ donors through the driver's license DMV, or the Donate Life registry. We can change our mind at any time. 

 3. What are the 3 types of organ donation?

To be clear, no one may remove an organ if doing so causes or hastens a donor's death. There are strict rules about who and how brain death is declared. However, since not all hospital chaplains are priests, ensure that both the hospital bioethicist and Catholic priest are involved in determination of death.

• Cadaver donation is giving the body to science. A whole-body donation program requires many documents before death--while still competent. Most donor programs will not accept power of attorney signatures. Evidence of direct authorization must come from the donor. Please be forewarned, crazy things are done to cadavers so do some homework first. While a funeral cannot be held, a memorial service is suggested. Always request in writing, the return of cremated ashes to family. Without this guarantee, seek another program.

• Living donation is giving a kidney, a liver lobe or bone marrow etc. as long as it does not impair health seriously.

• Vital organs, like the heart, lungs or the whole liver, etc; may only be removed AFTER death. This is the main problem with being an organ donor--since organs are healthier before death--a slippery slope. In the US, death must be determined by a legally recognized medical team using objective criteria.
  • Brain death is when the WHOLE brain ceases to function--which is complicated so more is below.
  • Cardiac death is when the heart ceases to function.

4. What is brain death?

St Pope John Paul II accepted neurological criteria that signifies brain death only if the entire brain ceases to function, not just part of the brain. This means a diagnosis of "brain dead" must be unpacked and validated by a hospital bioethicist and a Catholic priest--who then provides Last Rites. Our faith requires moral certitude that a family is not manipulated into homicide for the gain of others. Zooming out, hospitals contract with health insurances and employers for access to members needing organ transplants. For example, if a matching organ is found, Walmart per their annual contract with Mayo, will fly their organ-failure employee to the Mayo Clinic because they had the best outcomes during the contracting period. Simultaneously, the matching organ is harvested by team(s) and airlifted to Minnesota where the 2 are united. Competition for these lucrative contracts creates posturing among University Hospitals with transplant programs. Incentives exist to procure the healthiest organs to achieve perfect statistics. While competition elevates quality and technique, how might this alter the treatment and information given to organ donors/families? Catholic doctors and nurses are in a tight spot. Donors can help through meticulous donation details and notorized written instructions. 

5. How to avoid conflicts of interest?

• Physicians responsible for declaring death cannot be the same persons performing the harvest or the organ transplant.

• It is the hospital bioethicist's responsibility to approve protocols, validate practices and audit cases for conflict of interest in daily activities.

• Ask from where the team(s) are coming. As of this date, here is a list of U.S, regulated transplant centers with only the organs they may transplant. Not every transplant center has the resources to transplant every organ. Each organ extraction may require a separate team. Questions?--phone numbers for each transplant program are provided in the link.

6. How can I avoid nefarious use of my organs?

Pressure to become donors must include free, full and informed consent. Get a 2nd opinion if faced with dubious reproductive organ surgeries like hysterectomy, removal of ovaries, fallopian tubes or testicles. Read the consent form's fine print regarding extracted body part disposition. If the word "research" is used, ask for details. In cases of transgender surgeries, magically appearing "research" organs have led to Frankenstinian transgender surgeries. This is complicated so let us be frank--there are 2 genders. Knowingly, women cannot let our ovaries and wombs go into a man. Men cannot allow their testicles to be planted onto a woman. Another clue is to ask the Lab Tech if the blood is being drawn for "tissue typing." Follow up in My Chart to audit veracity. Trust, but verify.  

7. Organ Trafficking

Even in the U.S. there are well documented abuses and unethical practices related to both organ donation, transplants and body donations. Additionally, there is a black market and yes, kids, the homeless and vulnerable people disappear for the sole purpose of organ harvests. The US borders are notoriously corrupt with organ mining. Their supply fuels the demand from transplant-listed "anchor" patients who face certain death. They have no choice but to get expensive organs through "tourist transplants."

• Medically-assisted suicide in Canada correlates with a rise in organ transplants. Recently, they have cornered 47% of the world's organ market.

• Young healthy organs are worth millions, which have created criminal organ networks. Until recently, Mexican cartels controlled the southern border with organ "brokers" and drones. Their task is to "befriend" the unattached who might be kidnapped and harvested for organs.

• China has a 1–2-week organ waiting list. Coincidentally, they tissue-type all political and religious prisoners upon entering prison. This concept is known as "reverse matching" as compared to the normal practice of "forward matching."

• Tourist transplants occur at sketchy clinics. Recipients are given little medical care and are left with many health complications afterwards.

8. St Maximillian Kolbe: patron of organ donation

Just as Jesus Christ gave his life for us, the WW2 concentration camp prisoner St. Maxmillian Kolbe gave his life to save another. He is considered the patron saint of organ donors and those donating their bodies to science. Ask him to intercede for guidance from The Holy Spirit. The Catholic Church permits body, organ and tissue donation--if it serves justice, helps others and dignity is paid to the body. The Pontifical Academy for Life encourages donation for medical research when done with consent and dignity. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops states that whole body donation is morally acceptable with proper final disposition. Pope St John Paul II wrote this in Evangelium Vitae,

"There is an everyday heroism, made up of gestures and sharing

big or small

which build an authentic culture of life.

A particularly praiseworthy example of such gestures

is the donation of organs in a morally acceptable and loving manner."

Sources:

Assisted-suicide Canadian's heart, transplanted into an American & other alleged nefariousness

Average Organ Transplant Wait Time of 1-2-Weeks | Global Tuidang Center

Catechism of the Catholic Church | USCCB

Evangelium Vitae | Pope St John Paul II

Fascinating Facts about Donating Your Organs/Body to Science: Explaining the Faith w/Fr. Chris Alar - You Tube