Pope Francis calls on the international community to ban surrogacy

The sovereign pontiff “considers that the practice [de la GPA] is regrettable” and does not want “the mother’s womb” to become “an object of commercialization”.

Pope Francis invited the international community to commit to banning surrogacy (GPA) during his greetings to the diplomatic corps at the Vatican on Monday January 8. “The path to peace requires respect for life, for every human life, starting with that of the unborn child in the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed or become an object of commercialization”did he declare.

“In this regard, I consider that the practice of surrogacy is regrettable, because it seriously undermines the dignity of women and children”he added. “I therefore hope that the international community will commit to universally banning this practice.”

An opposition already expressed

The Catholic Church is opposed to GPA, a medically assisted procreation situation consisting of implanting an embryo in the uterus of a surrogate mother, who gives the baby to a requesting couple at birth.

In June 2022, Pope Francis had already described GPA as “inhumane practice”. In November 2023, the Vatican explained that children of same-sex couples, whether adopted or born through surrogacy, could be baptized.

Most European countries prohibit surrogacy. The use of surrogate mothers is sometimes authorized or tolerated as long as it is not paid (Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Colombia). Commercial surrogacy, therefore paid surrogacy, is authorized in certain American states.