Life begins at conception, but when does death begin (or end)?

[joeflow]

Is there any Church teaching concerning when a life has truly ended? Life beginning at conception is relatively easy to define, but what about death? You always hear about people being considered medically dead, and then being revived, but is there any way to know when death has actually occurred.

I would think it would technically be when the soul leaves the body, but this of course, is a little hazy.

 

[GEddie]

Is there any Church teaching concerning when a life has truly ended? Life beginning at conception is relatively easy to define, but what about death? You always hear about people being considered medically dead, and then being revived, but is there any way to know when death has actually occurred.

I would think it would technically be when the soul leaves the body, but this of course, is a little hazy.

You are technically correct. Death begins when soul, or “life”, leaves the body. We cannot measure soul or life (only its processes like heart beat and breathing), and so science cannot determine a moment of death.

The soul, which is life, can go into abeyance (suspended animation) so that a human being can appear dead without in fact being dead. This is why “near death” cases will always be dubious. It was thought that if you ceased breathing, you were dead. Now we know that breathing can be restored, as can the heart rate. Today, we say brain activity ending defines death. Next year, that may be revised as well.

Basically, death happens when the body cells, having ceased breathing and circulation, are too chemically damaged for the body to hold life. This is irreversible, but not a measurable point since that would require sensors in every bodycell.

And death ends in Eternity when the life, or soul, is fitted with a Spiritual Body (1Co 15, 2Co5).

ICXC NIKA