1 of 2 Pope speaks during his annual address to diplomats on January 8, 2024 Photo: Simone Risoluti/Portal Pope speaks during his annual address to diplomats on January 8, 2024 Photo: Simone Risoluti/Portal
Pope Francis called this Monday (8) for a worldwide ban on the practice of “surrogacy”.
“I consider the practice of socalled surrogacy to be deplorable, which represents a serious violation of the dignity of women and children and is based on the exploitation of the mother's material needs,” he said.
The 87yearold Pope made the comments in a 45minute speech to diplomats at the Vatican.
For ethical reasons, the practice is illegal in many countries around the world.
In Brazil, the commercialization of pregnancies is considered illegal by law. However, according to the constitution, a woman who is related to the couple by blood can act as a “womb donor”. In other cases, express approval from the Regional Medicine Council is required.
2 of 2 Pope Francis meeting with diplomats at the Vatican on January 8, 2024 Photo: Vatican Media/Simone Risoluti/Reproduction via Portal Pope Francis meeting with diplomats at the Vatican on January 8, 2024 Photo: Vatican Media /Simone Risoluti/Reproduction via Portal
Francis also reiterated the Vatican's condemnation of gender ideology, which suggests that gender is more complex and fluid than the binary categories of man and woman and depends on more than just visible sexual characteristics.
He called the theory “extremely dangerous because it nullifies differences in its claim to make everyone equal.”
As part of this measure, priests can give blessings to samesex couples if they wish. Priests can also refuse to perform the ritual, but they are prohibited from “preventing the entry (to churches) of people in a situation where they might seek God's help through a simple blessing.”