Indian bishop donates kidney to save Hindu man

Bishop Mar Jacob Muricken of the Syro-Malabar Eastern church has decided to act on Pope Francis' call of "compassion year" by becoming a kidney donor to a Hindu man.

"This is perhaps the first time in history that a serving bishop is donating one of his kidneys to save a life," Father Davis Chiramel, chairman of Kidney Federation of India, was quoted by Catholic Herald.

Chiramel also said that the Indian bishop's act is even more significant as it is "in the Holy Year of Mercy, following the call by Pope Francis to love each other without the barrier of caste or creed."

The priest hailed Muricken as the "30-year-old Sooraj is getting life from this Catholic bishop, who's forming the bridge of love and God's grace".

According to Catholic Herald, the kidney recipient is E Sooraj, a Hindu man from a lower caster of Kottakal in southern India. He was diagnosed with kidney failure two years ago.

A report from Mathrubhumi adds that Sooraj registered at the Kidney Federation of India after doctors informed him that his only hope is through a kidney transplant. Sooraj's house is already mortgaged after treatment costs of his diabetic mother and his brother who died of heart attack a couple of years ago. Four years back, Sooraj's father died of snakebite.

"Our church and Pope Francis truly believe and back such acts of organ donations. It's in the spirit of the Church," the auxiliary bishop of Pala Diocese in the southern state of Kerala told NDTV, as reported by Christian Today.

"I believe this should be a strong message for people around me, to be open to donate organs," added Muricken, who hopes that his example will teach people how to love someone while the person is still alive and not only after one has gone.

Muricken also shared that he was inspired by Chiramel, also a kidney donor to a Hindu in 2009.

According to Chiramel, organ recipients are usually asked that at least one family member must be willing to donate for someone else. However, this obviously couldn't be the case for Sooraj.

Chiramel was the one responsible for finding the suitable candidate for Muricken's organ donation. The kidney transplant is set for June 1 at Lakeshore Hospital.