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Read the statements of different Synods of Orthodox Bishops on organ donation.
To-date, all synods have been generally supportive of organ donation while offering guidance. Some statements are very brief and quoted in full below; others are lengthy and summarized. Most statements leave many specific questions about organ donation unanswered. Some address both living and deceased organ donation. We focus here on deceased donation. In general:
Organ donation is approved as a generous act of love. It is praiseworthy, but not a moral obligation.
Free permission is required for organ donation, either the permission of the donor or a family member.
Human body parts must never be commodified or sold.
The Holy Synod of Antioch issued a pastoral letter, "Family, Joy of Life" in 1999. This letter includes section on Organ Donation. It is very brief and quoted in full here:
"The Church accepts organ donation as an act of love, which donors suggest in complete freedom, provided that they do not hurt themselves. In cases of sudden death, the decision belongs to the deceased's executor. The Church warns against the spirit of utilitarianism and commercialism which can exploit medical standards with the aim of removing parts of a living person in order to sell them to others, since it is not permissible in any circumstance for human parts to become a commodity." (Section 40)
This Bulgarian Diocese of the Bulgarian Patriarchate issued an undated statement, Policy Statements on Contemporary Moral Issues, which includes a section on Organ Transplantation. It is brief and quoted in full here:
"Organ/tissue transplants should never be commercialized, nor should the death of the donor be hastened in order to harvest material for transplant. The Diocese can and will support organ/tissue donation when it is done as an act of love, made in consultation with appropriate medical professionals and one's spiritual father. In all cases, respect for the body of the donor, whether living or deceased, must be upheld, and the decision should never be coerced, but made in the context of free and informed consent."
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece's Bioethics Committee offered a statement on "Basic Positions on the Ethics of Transplantations" in 1999. In contrast to the statements of other jurisdictions, this statement is over 4,000 words long - perhaps because it was produced by a bioethics committee. Here are some key conclusions of the committee:
"The best way of returning our life to God is to offer it, out of love, to our fellow man."
The Church accepts the use of brain death criteria to determine death. (Surprisingly, the statement expresses support for organ donation even if one doubts that brain death marks final separation of soul and body.)
Free consent of the donor, motivated by love and self-giving, is essential and cannot be presumed. Family members may grant permission as long as it does not contradict known wishes of the donor.
Organs may not be commercialized.
Organ donation is blessed, but not required.
The Holy Synod of the OCA has produced Guidelines for Clergy. In the 2023 update, there is a statement on Organ Donation, which is brief and quoted in full here:
"Donation of the body organ(s) after death may be allowed as long as respectful care is exercised toward the body before, during, and after the extraction operation. Care must be taken that the organ(s) are given as a gesture of altruism, free of any commercial overtones.
The Church does not consider the sharing of organs as a lessening of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the deceased, or as a transmigration of part of the donor to the recipient. A healthy person not in expectation of imminent death may donate non-vital organs as long as his/her quality and integrity of life is not diminished or endangered."
The Romanian Orthodox Church has published an undated document on the Transplant of Organs. It is over 2500 words long. Here are some key conclusions from the document:
Organ transplant is blessed under the following conditions:
It will provide healing that cannot be achieved through other means
It will not cause the death of the donor.
It is based on Christian love of neighbor; it cannot be a financial transaction.
Explicit consent is provided for donation, by the donor or donor's family
Brain death criteria may be used as long as this is consistent with law and carefully diagnosed.
Organ donation is a generous act of love; it is not a moral duty.
The document, "The Basis of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church," contains a section on "Transplantology." We have linked to the English translation hosted on the Canadian diocese's webpage. This statement is nearly 1,000 words. Here is a summary of key points:
The deceased body requires reverence; but organ donation can be a manifestation of love that extends beyond death.
Human organs cannot be viewed as the object of purchase and sale.
Organ donation is not a duty. It must be a voluntary expression of love, which requires consent.
Sustaining life using "artificial means" when only some organs continue to function is not obligatory and could interfere with an "honorable and peaceful" death.
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