Pope Francis Decries Surrogate Motherhood as ‘Grave Violation’
In a meeting with ambassadors to the Vatican on Monday, Pope Francis called for a global ban on surrogate motherhood, denouncing it as a “grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child.” The comments come amidst efforts in Italy to further restrict the practice, which is already banned in the country.
The Pope stated, “I deem 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.” He added, “A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract. Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally.”
In Italy, the far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is pushing for an extended, universal ban on surrogacy, which would impose jail time and large fines for parents seeking to have children through surrogate mothers overseas.
The pope’s comments on surrogacy were part of a broader speech addressing global issues, including a plea for a cease-fire in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, humanitarian crises in Africa, and rising tensions in Latin America.
The pontiff’s remarks are likely to add momentum to the ongoing debate surrounding surrogacy, both in Italy and globally, with advocates and opponents of the practice fiercely divided.