Pope Francis Calls For A Universal Ban On Surrogacy. He Says It Exploits Mother And Child

In a foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Francis lamented that 2024 had dawned at a time in which peace is 바카라�increasingly threatened, weakened and in some part lost.바카라� Citing Russia's war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, the issue of migration, climate crises and the 바카라�immoral바카라� production of nuclear and conventional weapons, Francis delivered a list of the ills afflicting humanity and the increasing violation of international humanitarian law that allows them.

But Francis also listed smaller-scale issues that he said were threats to peace and human dignity, including surrogacy. He said the life of the unborn child must be protected and not 바카라�suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking.바카라� 바카라�I consider despicable 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,바카라� he said.

Saying a child is a gift and 바카라�never the basis of a commercial contract,바카라� he called for a global ban on surrogacy "to prohibit this practice universally.바카라� Vatican teaching opposes in vitro fertilisation, and Francis has previously voiced the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to surrogacy, or what he has called 바카라�uterus for rent." At the same time, however, the Vatican's doctrine office has made clear that same-sex parents who resort to surrogacy can have their children baptised.

While commercial surrogacy contracts are common in the United States, including protections for the mothers, guarantees of independent legal representation and medical coverage, they are banned in parts of Europe, including Spain and Italy. Russia's war in Ukraine, and the threat to babies born to surrogate Ukrainian mothers, exposed the country's thriving industry. Ukraine is one of the few countries that allow surrogacy for foreigners.

Critics say commercial surrogacy targets women who are poor and from vulnerable communities. Supporters say surrogacy gives women a chance to provide children to childless couples, and that commercial contracts protect both the surrogates and the intended parents. On Monday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops quoted Francis' words in explaining why the Catholic Church teaches that surrogacy 바카라�is not morally permissible.바카라�

"Instead, we should pray for, and work towards, a world that upholds the profound dignity of every person, at every stage and in every circumstance of life,바카라� spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said. In his geopolitical roundup, Francis singled out Russia by name in noting the 바카라�large-scale war waged by the Russian Federation against Ukraine." It marked an unusual break with Francis' usual tendency to spare Moscow direct and public blame for the invasion when expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

Francis was more balanced in his lament of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza, condemning Hamas' October 7 assault on southern Israel 바카라�and every instance of terrorism and extremism.바카라� At the same time, he said the attack provoked a 바카라�strong Israeli military response바카라� that had left thousands dead and created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He called for an immediate cease-fire, including in Lebanon, and the liberation of hostages held in Gaza, and reiterated the Holy See's position seeking a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians and an internationally guaranteed special status for Jerusalem.

In other comments, Francis: 바카라� Lamented various humanitarian and refugee crises in Africa, and without naming names blasted military coups and elections in several African countries marked by 바카라�corruption, intimidation and violence.바카라� 바카라� Called for a 바카라�respectful diplomatic dialogue바카라� with the Nicaraguan government to resolve what he called a 바카라�protracted crisis.바카라� The government's crackdown on the Catholic Church has resulted in the detention of dozens of priests and bishops. The government has accused the church of aiding popular protests against his administration that he considered an attempted coup. 바카라� Called for the resumption, as early as possible, of Iran nuclear talks 바카라�to ensure a safer future for all.바카라� Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had increased the rate at which it is producing near-weapons-grade uranium, reversing a previous slowdown.

Francis also said that the 바카라�manufacturing바카라� of nuclear weapons was just as immoral as the possession and use of them. Francis has already changed church teaching to include the possession of nuclear weapons as inadmissible, but on Monday he included the production of such weapons as part of his overall criticism of the weapons industry. 바카라�Perhaps we need to realise more clearly that civilian victims are not collateral damage' (of war) but men and women, with names and surnames, who lost their lives,바카라� he said. 바카라�They are children who are orphaned and deprived of their future.바카라�