Why Can't the Pope Be an Organ Donor?

Did you know that Pope Leo XIV can't be an organ donor? American Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the 267th Pope on May 8, 2025, having chosen the name Leo. The Pope was born in Chicago in 1955, and he made history when he became the first American Pope.

According to Vatican News, his first words as Pope Leo XIV were, "Peace be with all of you!" His predecessor, Pope Francis, was a strong organ donation advocate, but he couldn't donate his organs, either, despite carrying a donor card. People may be surprised to learn the reason why popes aren't allowed to donate their organs following their deaths.

The Pope can't be an organ donor because once he dies, his body becomes the property of the Catholic Church. According to Reuters, Vatican officials said papal organs can't be donated, and the Pope's body has to be buried intact for religious reasons.

Pope Leo XIV's predecessor, Pope Francis, strongly believed in organ donation, and he advocated for people to become organ donors before and after their deaths. Pope Francis even had a donor card. It was issued in the 1970s before he became the Pope, but the donor card became invalid once he became the Bishop of Rome.

"It's true that the pope owns an organ donor card," read a statement from the Vatican. "But contrary to public opinion, the card issued back in the 1970s became de facto invalid with Cardinal Ratzinger's election to the papacy,"

Pope Francis spoke passionately about organ donation at the Italian Association of Organ Donors in 2019, and he said organ donation should be “encouraged as a manifestation of generous solidarity." He reportedly still carried his card to advocate for organ donation.

"Organ donation responds to a social need because, despite the development of many medical treatments, the need for organs still remains great," he continued. "Donation means looking at and going beyond oneself, beyond one's individual needs, and opening oneself generously to a wider good. Organ donation is not only an act of social responsibility, but also an expression of the universal fraternity which binds all men and women together.”

Pope Francis also said, “For those who do not have a religious faith, the gesture towards needy brothers and sisters is called to be made on the basis of an ideal of selfless human solidarity."

Pope Leo XIV hasn't specifically spoken about organ donation yet, but he advocated for people to care for others with a post on Instagram.

Pope Leo XIV also emphasized charity as a "social commandment" while speaking about poverty in June.

"Charity, in fact, is the greatest social commandment,” he stated. "Poverty has structural causes that must be addressed and eliminated. In the meantime, each of us is called to offer new signs of hope that will bear witness to Christian charity, just as many saints have done over the centuries.”

“Labor, education, housing, and health are the foundations of a security that will never be attained by the use of arms," he added. "I express my appreciation for those initiatives that already exist, and for the efforts demonstrated daily on the international level by great numbers of men and women of goodwill."