ROME (AP) — Pope Francis called for a global ban on surrogacy on Monday, calling the practice of surrogacy “deplorable” and saying an unborn child “should not be made the subject of human trafficking.”
In a wide-ranging speech to the ambassadors of the 184 countries that have diplomatic relations with the Vatican, the pope said that surrogacy constitutes a serious violation of the dignity of women and children and takes advantage of the financial circumstances of surrogate mothers.
Pope Francis leads the Angelus prayer at the Vatican, January 7, 2024. Vatican Media/Handout via Portal
“A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract,” Francis said.
In 2022, the pope called surrogacy “inhumane” and said: “Women, almost all poor, are exploited and children are treated like commodities.”
Surrogacy laws vary widely around the world. Only a few countries and some states in the US allow commercial surrogacy. Others allow “altruistic” surrogacy where no money is exchanged. Many other countries, including most in Europe, have banned it entirely.
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In his annual address to the diplomatic corps, sometimes called the pope's “state of the world address,” Francis included surrogacy in his list of conflicts and divisions that threaten world peace. This year he also reflected on the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, the immigration crisis, climate change, weapon proliferation, anti-Semitism, the persecution of Christians and artificial intelligence, among other topics.
The pope said the wars in Gaza and Ukraine prove that all conflicts ultimately indiscriminately affect civilians where they are fought.
“We must not forget that serious violations of international humanitarian law are war crimes,” he said.
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