Pope Francis calls for end to ‘deplorable’ practice of surrogacy

Pope Francis called surrogacy “deplorable” in a speech to the world’s ambassadors on Monday, calling for a universal ban on the “despicable” practice.

“The path to peace calls for respect for life, for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child in the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking,” Pope Francis said.

“In this regard, 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. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”

The Pope proceeded with a call to end surrogacy worldwide.

“Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally,” he said. “At every moment of its existence, human life must be preserved and defended; yet I note with regret, especially in the West, the continued spread of a culture of death, which in the name of a false compassion discards children, the elderly, and the sick.”

Commercial surrogacy is a dangerous and often unregulated practice, which exploits desperate women and commodifies human life. It has especially taken off in Eastern Europe and Asia, where impoverished women are renting their wombs to make enough money to provide for their families. Some countries are starting to recognize the dangers and have put measures in place to curb commercial surrogacy practices.

READ: Adoption, IVF, and surrogacy: What pro-lifers need to know

Olivia Auriol, who was conceived via surrogacy 30 years ago, has spoken out about the trauma she experienced after realizing she was born through surrogacy. “People just think that it’s a beautiful little butterfly world where everything goes right and that love is sufficient and that the child will grow up and everything will be fine, but, no, no,” she said. “Not everything will be fine. We’re using wombs, we’re paying for women’s uteruses, we’re buying children. There’s nothing right with surrogacy.”

According to Catholic News Agency, the Pope gives his address to diplomats annually. It has been called the “state of the world” address because it is one of the few times that he addresses global conflicts and worldwide issues all at once.

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