Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church has called for a global ban on surrogacy.
The pope called surrogacy “deplorable” in a 45-minute address to Vatican-accredited diplomats on Monday, adding that “a child is a gift and never the object of a contract.”
He said:
“I consider deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs.”
“Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally.”
Pope Francis‘ comments come just weeks after he formally authorised Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples.
The declaration sparked debate about the Catholic church’s position on homosexuality. However, the church stated that the blessings were not a justification or endorsement of their lifestyle.
Pope Francis’ remarks are likely to enrage pro-LGBT+ activists as many of them support and use surrogacy to have children.
For a variety of ethical and theological reasons, the Catholic Church has long been opposed to surrogacy and IVF.
Many countries around the world, including Italy, the country that surrounds the Vatican, have made the practice illegal.
According to reports, Francis told a delegation of the Federation of Associations of Catholic Families in Europe in June 2022 that surrogacy was a “inhuman and increasingly common practice” in which “women — almost always poor women — are exploited” and children are “treated as merchandise.”