Pope Francis has strongly condemned surrogate motherhood, labeling it as a “despicable” practice that should be universally banned. In his annual speech to ambassadors on Monday, the Pope expressed his concerns about the “commercialization” of pregnancy, equating it to other global threats such as wars and terrorism.
During his address, Pope Francis asserted that the unborn child should not be treated as an “object of trafficking.” He emphasized his strong disapproval of surrogate motherhood, describing it as a severe violation of the dignity of both the woman and the child, rooted in the exploitation of vulnerable situations related to the mother’s material needs.
Expressing his stance on the matter, the Pope stated, “I consider despicable 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.”
He further emphasized that a child should never become the “basis of a commercial contract” and called for a global ban on surrogacy, urging the international community to prohibit this practice universally.
Pope Francis’s strong condemnation adds a prominent voice to the ongoing global debate surrounding surrogate motherhood and raises questions about the ethical considerations and potential exploitation associated with this practice.