When does death occur?

[MikeGU]

At a meeting of our “Why Catholic” organizing committee last night, the topic of organ donation was brought up. One of our members said that she had heard that heart donations could not occur because the person was alive as long as the heart was still beating, thus making it a mortal sin to take the beating heart from the person because he is still alive. Others had heard that brain death can occur while the heart was still beating, and thus the heart could be donated without having to commit murder. Can you help?

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

From a theological perspective, death occurs when the soul leaves the body. The physical evidence that death has undoubtedly occurred is when the body begins to show the physical signs of death (lividity, rigor mortis, etc.). The Church allows for organ donation (CCC 2296), but only if it does not “bring about the disabling mutilation or death of a human being, even in order to delay the death of other persons.” Since scientists are currently arguing over what constitutes bodily death, it might be safest for Catholics and others concerned about medical ethics issues to stipulate that only their corneas may be donated (since corneas can be harvested up to six hours after death and do not require removal while blood circulates, as do other organs).