Pope Francis on Monday called on the international community to take action to ban surrogacy, condemning the “commercialization” of the human body, AFP and Agerpres reported.

“The path to peace involves respect for life, for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child from the mother’s womb, which cannot be suppressed and cannot become an object of commercialization,” Pope Francis said in a speech to members of the diplomatic corps from the Vatican.

“In this sense, I consider the practice of surrogate motherhood deplorable, as it seriously degrades the dignity of women and children,” he added.

“Therefore, I hope that the international community will undertake to globally ban this practice,” the sovereign pontiff also said.

Pope Francis condemned the “inhumane practice” of surrogacy

The Catholic Church opposes surrogacy – a method of medical care that consists in the implantation of an embryo in the uterus of a surrogate mother who, after birth, entrusts the child to the couple who applied for this procedure.

As early as June 2022, the Argentine Pope qualified surrogate motherhood as an “inhumane practice.” In November 2023, the Vatican said that children of same-sex couples, adopted or born to surrogate mothers, can be baptized.

Most European countries prohibit surrogacy. The use of surrogate mothers is sometimes permitted or allowed if they are not remunerated (Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Colombia). Commercial surrogacy, that is paid surrogacy, is licensed in some US states.

Pope Francis’ comments on Monday came after the Vatican drew the ire of conservative elements of the Catholic Church last month over his decision to allow the blessing of same-sex couples, a historic decision by the Holy See.