Pope Francis Strongly Condemns Surrogate Motherhood, Urges Global Prohibition

Pope Francis has sparked controversy by calling for a global ban on surrogacy, a practice that many members of the LGBT community rely on to have children. In his annual foreign policy address, the Pope listed surrogate motherhood as a threat to global peace and human dignity, alongside issues such as war, climate change, and migration challenges. He described the practice as “deplorable” and a violation of the dignity of women and children, based on the exploitation of mothers in need. The 87-year-old religious leader urged the international community to universally prohibit surrogacy, stating that a child should be seen as a gift, not a commodity.

This is not the first time the Pope has voiced opposition to surrogacy, but the Vatican had previously allowed children born through surrogacy to be baptized if there was hope that they would be raised in the Catholic religion. In his recent speech, Francis also condemned “gender theory” that challenges binary gender categories, describing it as dangerous for erasing differences in the pursuit of equality.

While Pope Francis has been seen as more progressive in accepting the LGBT community, such as allowing priests to bless same-sex couples, he maintains conservative positions on issues like abortion. The number of surrogacy cases has been on the rise, with a slight decrease in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some countries, including Spain, Italy, and Taiwan, have banned surrogacy due to ethical concerns about its commercial nature. Others allow altruistic surrogacy, where women can carry embryos without monetary compensation. The United States has varying laws on surrogacy depending on the state. Critics argue that surrogacy perpetuates a poverty bias, as financially desperate women often cater to the desires of the wealthy at the expense of their own bodies.