His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos, Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia, has recently affirmed the sanctity of organ and tissue donation in conjunction with the Organ and Tissue Authority (OTA).
Chief executive of the OTA Ms Yael Cass welcomed Archbishop Stylianos’ support for the affirmation of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in organ and tissue donation and states that the “majority of religions allow and even encourage organ and tissue donation as the ultimate act of generosity, so we urge those who observe a faith to seek guidance from their religious leaders on this matter”.
Archbishop Stylianos further states that: “Our Church and our archdiocese in Australia support organ and tissue donation as a selfless act of giving. Human life can be bettered through the humanitarian act of donation and transplantation while preserving the sanctity of life. We have the word of God as our guide which says ‘it is more blessed to give than to receive’ (Acts 20:35).”
Ms Cass looks forward to working closely with the archdiocese in order to inform priests across Australia about organ and tissue donation to enable them to guide their communities on the issue.
For more information visit www.donatelife.gov.au