Catholics called to reflect before seeing bodies exhibit

Human body should be treated with reverence, say Smith, Motiuk

Archbishop Richard Smith

Special to the WCR
Edmonton

Edmonton's two Catholic bishops are asking local Catholics to consider the faith implications of an upcoming exhibit that features preserved human bodies.

Archbishop Richard Smith of the Edmonton Archdiocese and Bishop David Motiuk of the Edmonton Ukrainian Eparchy have issued a joint pastoral statement in advance of the exhibit's opening at the Telus World of Science.

Body Worlds: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies was created by Gunther von Hagen, a German scientist who developed a process called "plastination" to permanently preserve bodily tissue.

The stated goal of the exhibit is to educate the public about health and anatomy.

"Not surprisingly, this exhibit generates much debate wherever it occurs, and so it should," the bishops said in their statement. "At issue here is human dignity."

Christians believe in the redemption of the human person, both body and soul, and so the human body retains its dignity even in death.

The Catholic Church does not object to the donation of the body for medical and scientific purposes, but it's with the understanding that such donation is for a limited time and that the body will eventually be given a reverent burial.

Bishop David Motiuk

The bishops question whether the educational goals of the exhibit could not be met just as well using models rather than actual bodies.

The bodies in the exhibit are displayed with the skin removed, which the bishops note obscures their God-given individuality.

"These people are not just some anonymous 'other' within the mass of humanity. As Pope Benedict XVI has so beautifully written, 'Each of us is the result of a thought of God.'

"If any Catholics were to visit this exhibit, they should keep in mind that each body viewed is that of a unique individual loved by God and others. It would be appropriate to offer prayer for the repose of their souls."

"We counsel any of our parishioners who choose to view the exhibit to do so critically through the lens of faith."

The bishops say it's up to Catholic parents to decide whether their children should see the exhibit. But they have consulted superintendents of all Catholic school divisions in the area and determined that any school visits will be restricted to high school students with specific conditions.

Both bishops gratefully acknowledge that officials at the Telus World of Science consulted religious leaders well in advance of the exhibit's June 13 opening.

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