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Pope Benedict: Determining Death Is Not Arbitrary : 20th Nov 08
Benedict XVI reminded participants in an international congress on organ transplants that before vital organs can be extracted from a body, it must be certified beyond a doubt that the donor is truly dead. The pope was addressing a congress held in Rome, "A Gift for Life. Considerations on Organ Donation". The Pope also underlined the importance of receiving the family's informed consent.
The congress was sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life, the International Federation of Catholic Medical Associations, and the Italian National Transplant Centre. "Informed consent", said the Pontiff, "is a precondition of freedom so that the transplant can be characterized as being a gift and not interpreted as a coercive or abusive act."
Referring to the “Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church”, the Pope added that "respect for the life of the donor should be assumed as the primary criterion, in such a way so that the extraction of the organs only take place after having ascertained the patient's true death." Zenit/LifeSite/News.
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