The Pope supports organ donation, but the Vatican won't let him donate any organs

[AdMan]

Pope Benedict has a soft spot in his heart for organ donations but his body parts can't be donated to save lives after he dies, the Vatican says.

Source.

I found this to be the funniest (and stupidest) bit:

Vatican officials say that after a pope dies, his body belongs to the entire Church and must be buried intact. Furthermore, if papal organs were donated, they would become relics in other bodies if he were eventually made a saint.

It's like a weird collision between medieval beliefs and modern medicine.

 

[JimBenArm]

Maybe they should donate pianos instead.

 

[brainmeat]

They should just put his organs in a basket with some loaves and fishes, then there would be kidneys enough for all.

 

[The True Scotsman]

Random Cardinal: "Hello, Mr Johnson. I represent the Catholic Church and it seems that there has been a mix-up. You see, that liver you were given belonged to the recently deceased Pope and, since it is a holy relic, we're going to need it back."
Dave Johnson: "Ummm...No." (slam door).

 

[Darth Rotor]

Random Cardinal: "Hello, Mr Johnson. I represent the Catholic Church and it seems that there has been a mix-up. You see, that liver you were given belonged to the recently deceased Pope and, since it is a holy relic, we're going to need it back."
Dave Johnson: "Ummm...No." (slam door).

He might look at this as a chance to become Saint Dave ... or become the foundation of a new church ...

 

[LibraryLady]

Seriously. Who would want his organs?

 

[The Norseman]

Vatican officials say that after a pope dies, his body belongs to the entire Church and must be buried intact. Furthermore, if papal organs were donated, they would become relics in other bodies if he were eventually made a saint.

"In him truly beats the heart of a saint."

"No, seriously."

 

[I Ratant]

What's the expected useable life time for donated organs?
Getting anything from a geezer like the Popes tend to be when they shuffle off this mortal coil may be just taking out a failing organ and stuffing in a failed or soon to fail replacement.
One should have a clone floating in a vat someplace for a reliable source of organs.

 

[AdMan]

Furthermore, if papal organs were donated, they would become relics in other bodies if he were eventually made a saint.

This argument is somewhat illogical, because it implies that only popes can become saints, which is not the case.

With the reasoning the Vatican is using, they shouldn't really be approving of organ donation at all.

 

[slingblade]

This argument is somewhat illogical, because it implies that only popes can become saints, which is not the case.

With the reasoning the Vatican is using, they shouldn't really be approving of organ donation at all.

I don't see where it's implied that only popes can become saints. But of the general population, popes are a lot higher on the list for potential canonization than, say, you or I would be.

 

[Ladewig]

It's like a weird collision between medieval beliefs and modern medicine.

It may be weird but it is not unusual.

 

[geni]

Seriously. Who would want his organs?

Given his age I suppose his cornea might be of value but thats about it.

 

[The True Scotsman]

Seriously. Who would want his organs?

Anyone who needs them and isn't petty.

ETA: Unless you are referring to the pope's age and not making some weird idealogical stance. Perhaps I was assuming you meant the latter.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Seriously. Who would want his organs?

I love PZ's sense of humor: Who would want them?

My first thought was ick — he's rather decrepit, and if I ever require an organ transplant, I'd rather the source were a young, stupid motorcyclist who doesn't wear a helmet.

 

[geni]

It's like a weird collision between medieval beliefs and modern medicine.

Oh thats normal. It's why they switched the name from NMR to MRI (N stands for nuclear see).

 

[LibraryLady]

Anyone who needs them and isn't petty.

ETA: Unless you are referring to the pope's age and not making some weird idealogical stance. Perhaps I was assuming you meant the latter.

No, I was referring to the fact that he's old and rather sickly looking. I'd take a Nazi's organs if I needed them. At least then they'd be put to good use.

 

[TragicMonkey]

It would be neat if you got a corneal transplant from a dead pope, and then the pope was sainted, and then suddenly you could see whatever he was seeing in heaven. As a sainted pope he'd be sure to move in the most exalted circles, and you could write down what you see and sell the information to the highest bidder. I bet Satan would love to get his hands on the security codes to the heavenly computer systems, or find out the exact disposition of God's security details. I bet security's lax on big holidays like Xmas. Picture it, Xmas Eve, God's palace. All the dignitaries and saints and popes and historical figures are at the big party, getting drunk, and then you can watch, through your very own holy undead vision, as demon attack forces crash through the windows and massacre the lot of them. St Michael's passed out drunk, the army's mostly off on leave, and the emergency Bat Phone got hacked and disconnected! Jesus tries to fight them off, but thanks to your spying they know he's vulnerable to kryptonite.

This could work!

 

[sphenisc]

Random Cardinal: "Hello, Mr Johnson. I represent the Catholic Church and it seems that there has been a mix-up. You see, that liver you were given belonged to the recently deceased Pope and, since it is a holy relic, we're going to need it back."
Dave Johnson: "Ummm...No." (slam door).

It's better than being Dave Liver and receiving his johnson.

 

[Wowbagger]

Couldn't the Pope, in theory, overrule the Vatican, if he really wanted to?

 

[TragicMonkey]

Couldn't the Pope, in theory, overrule the Vatican, if he really wanted to?

The problem with dictatorship is that no matter how absolute the power claimed is, they're all utterly at the mercy of their bureaucracies. The pope can decree until he's blue in the face, but unless he's prepared to go in person and supervise each of his orders being carried out (and stick around after to make sure they aren't reversed) there's not a thing he can do to make sure anybody's listening. Heck, there's no guarantee he even knows what's going on, he's surrounded by staff that decides what to tell him. The bureaucracy of the Roman Catholic Church is hellaciously old and dusty, it swallows any would-be-reformer popes whole. Popes are figureheads, whether they like it or not. They'd have to literally perform miracles to overcome the machinery of their own church.

And once he's dead, of course, they'll do whatever they like anyway. People rarely make it back from the dead to complain.

eta: and if he did come back from the dead, they'd just exorcise him away.