Pope Francis called for an international ban on surrogacy, calling the practice “deplorable” and a grave breach of women’s and children’s dignity, during a 45-minute speech to diplomats accredited by the Vatican, according to Reuters.
Given that surrogacy is frequently accepted by gay or lesbian couples wanting parenthood, the Pope’s position is likely to cause friction with gender-diverse organizations.
The 87-year-old pope expressed his profound displeasure, saying, “I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the woman’s and the child’s dignity, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother’s material needs.”
He also conveyed optimism for global initiatives aimed at making this behavior illegal worldwide.
This declaration signals a change in the Vatican’s stance on LGBTQ+ problems, coinciding with Pope Francis’ historic recent decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples.
Although complete statistics on surrogacy births worldwide are lacking, ethical concerns have led to the practice’s criminalization in several nations, including some US states.
Critics draw attention to the financial susceptibility of women who volunteer as surrogate moms and warn against a possible “poverty bias.”
Legislation to broaden the ban on surrogacy and penalize couples who seek surrogacy overseas is being pushed through by the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Italy. Italy’s present legal position on the subject is consistent with the Pope’s demand for an international prohibition.
Furthermore, Pope Francis restated the Vatican’s opposition to gender theory and called it “very dangerous.”for professing to achieve equality and erase disparities.
The Vatican’s opposition to the idea that gender is more complex and flexible than conventional binary classifications is reaffirmed by this.
