Pope Francis condemns surrogate motherhood as a “reprehensible” practice that should be universally outlawed due to its “commercialization” of pregnancy. During his foreign policy address to accredited ambassadors to the Holy See, the Catholic leader expressed concern that unborn children should not be treated as commodities, emphasizing the exploitation of women’s material needs in surrogate motherhood. He strongly advocated for a global ban on surrogacy, asserting that children should not be the subjects of commercial contracts.
Francis reiterated his opposition to surrogacy, previously describing it as “uterus for rent,” and highlighted that several European countries, such as Spain and Italy, already prohibit this practice. Despite the Catholic Church’s disapproval, the Vatican’s doctrine office on church teaching clarified that children of homosexual parents who opt for surrogacy can still be baptized.
These statements follow recent developments, including the explicit approval by Pope Francis for the blessing of same-sex couples, as well as the allowance of baptizing children born through surrogacy, signaling a nuanced approach within the Vatican.
