John Paul II accepted the concept of “brain death,” defined as the “complete cessation of neurological activity,” with standards that need to be “rigorously applied.” There is no way, with the moral state of medical practitioners today that doctors could be trusted to apply these standards properly, given the great temptation to profit from donor organs. Add to that the fact that different …More
John Paul II accepted the concept of “brain death,” defined as the “complete cessation of neurological activity,” with standards that need to be “rigorously applied.” There is no way, with the moral state of medical practitioners today that doctors could be trusted to apply these standards properly, given the great temptation to profit from donor organs. Add to that the fact that different jurisdictions have different standards to apply, and even more the fact that there is no reliable way to measure whether neurological activity has, in fact, completely ceased, short of allowing more consequences of death to manifest. This doesn’t even touch on the morality of organ transplantation in general, which is a matter of debate. It’s best to stay away from hospitals these days, I think.
