In this article, Mark Odion looks at the illegal practice of organ harvesting, the reasons behind its prevalence and the risks it poses to its victims, and what needs to be done.

Introduction

In his recent encyclical Fratelli tutti, Pope Francis, an advocate for the poor, reaffirms his commitment against the globalisation of indifference. The Holy Father, in the first chapter entitled ‘Dark Clouds over a Closed World’, recognises that ‘the international community has adopted numerous agreements aimed at ending slavery in all its forms and has launched various strategies to combat this phenomenon’ (FT 24). He emphasises, however, the many distortions of our age. These include the manipulation of concepts such as democracy, freedom and justice together with the problems of selfishness and indifference toward the common good. In addition, a wasteful culture, unemployment, racism, poverty are all criticised. Pope Francis then goes on to highlight the specific practices of slavery, trafficking in person, women subjugated and forced to abort, and kidnapping for organ harvesting, or organ trafficking. He notes that, whether by coercion, deception, or by physical or psychological duress, human persons – created in the image and likeness of God – are deprived of their freedom, sold, and reduced to being another person’s property – treated as a means to an end. In summary, the Pope draws the world’s attention to a global problem: a ‘culture of walls’ that leads to the proliferation of organised crime, fuelled by fear and loneliness.