A public debate on the morality of presumed consent of organ donation will take place in Cardiff in January.
Organised by the Church in Wales it aims to explore the issues from a Christian standpoint and will include contributions from the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan; Roy Thomas, Executive Chair of Kidney Wales Foundation; and Dr Chris Jones, Medical Director of NHS Wales.
Revd Carol Wardman, church and society adviser, said, “Most people would be only too happy for their organs to be used for the benefit of someone else after their death; but sadly, only about 30% of us join the organ donor register. This is why the Welsh Government wants to bring forward legislation to allow organs to be used for transplant unless the deceased has registered an objection.
“The Government’s current consultation process focuses on the practicalities of the proposed system. The Church in Wales is inviting people to think about the moral and ethical questions too – questions like:
- What do we believe about the importance of the human body, even after death?
- Who has the right to decide how the body is treated?
- How important is the principle of selfless giving, when it comes to saving life?
- Does the state’s relationship with the individual change, if it is assumed that our organs are available for donation?
- What does the Christian faith have to say about all this – and does it make any difference?”
The debate takes place on Saturday January 21, at 2pm in St John’s Church, Cardiff. No booking is required.
