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Soul leaving the body before death
Question from NiNi on 9/9/2009:

Does the Catholic Church believe that the soul could leave the body prior to imminent death?

Answer by Colin B. Donovan, STL on 9/10/2009:

It depends on what you mean by death. Biologically it is the irreversable cessation of certain bodily processes, traditionally heart function and respiration, and more recently, brain death. If it is reversible through CPR or shock or other means, then the person is not biologically dead. They may be clinically dead (meaning, by measurement no life is detected), but the very fact they revive shows that sufficient biological processes remain to permit life.

Metaphysically, the person is dead when the soul separates from the body. That is likely to be at or shortly after the time of biological death, but the Church does not assume that it occurs imemdiately after biological death. While the body remains warm, even if biological death has occured, sacraments such as anointing may be given conditionally "IF you are present I anoint you etc."

So, the soul both cannot and does not leave the body prior to metaphysical death, which comes no sooner than, and perhaps after, the irreversible cessation of biological life.



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