Manila, Philippines, Dec 19, 2007 / 10:18 am
The Catholic bishops of the Philippines have decried the widespread “immoral and grossly exploitative” practice of soliciting donations of vital human organs which offends the dignity of the person as a means of making money, reports Fides.
The Bishops' Conference says that organ trafficking is spreading, with kidneys becoming the organ of choice for the profiteers. The bishops also warn that the practice is “steadily thriving in rural and urban poor communities".
According to the Filipino prelates, the organ trafficking is “in the hands of organised crime which does not hesitate to abduct and kill street children, homeless people, ordinary people for the trafficking of vital organs.”
The Bishops' Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace raised the alarm. “Organ trade is without regard for charity and altruism, without regard for compassion, and certainly without regard for love; only for self-preservation and deception, fuelled by greed and destitution,” the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said in a statement.