Pope Francis has called for a global prohibition on surrogacy, terming it “deplorable” and a “grave violation of dignity.” Addressing diplomats at the Vatican during his New Year’s speech, the 87-year-old Pope emphasized the importance of respecting life, starting from the unborn child.
The Pope’s address, which primarily focused on global peace and conflict resolution, also highlighted his concern over the practice of surrogacy. He described surrogate motherhood as a process that disrespects the dignity of both the woman and the child, often exploiting the mother’s financial needs.
“A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract,” he stated, expressing his hope that the international community will unite to universally ban the practice.
This is not the first time the head of the Catholic Church has spoken against surrogacy. In June 2022, he condemned the practice as “inhuman.” While some forms of surrogacy, known as “altruistic” surrogacy, are legal in various countries like Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, Canada, Brazil, and Colombia, commercial surrogacy is permitted in certain US states. In these cases, the surrogate mother is compensated beyond basic expenses.