Pope Francis is no stranger to controversy, so his latest comments calling for a global ban on parenting via surrogacy comes at no surprise.
The Pope, 87, who called the practice “deplorable,” made the comment during a 45-minute speech in Vatican City on Monday.
“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 said.
“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,” he added.
There are likely several groups who will be unhappy with Francis’ comments, mainly the LGBTQ community.
It was only last month that Pope Francis permitted priests to bless same-sex couples, and now he’s calling for a universal ban on one of the ways same-sex couples have children when they can’t conceive on their own.
While there are few statistics surrounding children born via surrogacy, the practice is outlawed in many countries and several US states due to ethical concerns.
This isn’t the first time the pope has spoken out against surrogacy.
In 2022, Francis stated it was an “inhuman and increasingly widespread practice of the ‘rented uterus’, in which women, almost always poor women, are exploited and children treated as commodities.”
What are your thoughts on surrogacy? Is it ethical? Let us know in the comments.
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