Pope Francis (87) has called for an international ban on surrogacy. He finds this way of having children “reprehensible” and sees it as a “serious violation” of the rights of women and children.
A surrogate mother gives birth to a child for other parents and immediately after birth gives it to the intended parents who wanted the child. Surrogacy is used, for example, by homosexual couples or people who are infertile themselves in order to be able to have children.
Surrogacy is already banned in many countries. Critics fear it will come at the expense of vulnerable women who only bear children for others for financial reasons. In Belgium it is legal to have children through a surrogate mother, but it is forbidden to make money from it or advertise it. There is also no legal framework that regulates surrogacy.
In Italy, the country surrounding Vatican City, surrogacy is illegal. The far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni even wants to introduce a law with her government to make it a punishable offense for Italians to travel abroad and choose a surrogate mother there.
The 87-year-old pope’s statement will be a setback for many people in the LGBTQ+ community. During his ten-year papacy, Francis has been more progressive than his predecessors when it comes to LGBT rights, but many believe he should go much further. For example, last month the Catholic Church decided that priests can now bless same-sex couples, but the Vatican made it clear that this should absolutely not be seen as an alternative to marriage.
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