Why Does Pope Francis Think Surrogacy Is Wrong?

(SPOT.ph) Addressing a gathering of ambassadors at the Vatican, Pope Francis condemned surrogacy on January 9, calling for a worldwide ban on the practice for the severe violation of human dignity and the exploitation of women and children.

The Pope said what is considered a sacred process should not be reduced to a transactional relationship—a “uterus for rent” as he put it in 2022. This is especially true for women in financially vulnerable situations who are more likely to offer surrogacy for payment and not by altruistic choice.

His concern also extended to the treatment of children in surrogacy agreements. He said children are being treated like products people can buy and sell, which is similar to trafficking. He lamented the growing acceptance of what he termed a "culture of death" in Western societies, where he sees practices like surrogacy as lowering the value of human life.

“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,” Francis said in his speech. “A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”

Pope Francis's statements align with the Catholic Church's long-standing teachings on the sanctity of life. However, the fact also remains that one in six people worldwide are affected by infertility, according to the World Health Organization.

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What is surrogacy? What does the Philippines say about it?

Surrogacy is a process where a woman (called a surrogate) agrees to carry and give birth to a child for someone else who cannot have children themselves. This includes couples struggling with infertility, same-sex couples, single people wanting to be parents, and women who are unable to carry a pregnancy due to health risks. This arrangement is often formalized through legal contracts.

There are two main types of surrogacies: traditional and gestational.

Traditional surrogacy involves the biological mother of the child, usually through artificial insemination using the sperm of the intended father, while gestational surrogacy has no genetic link to the child. Here, an embryo created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) using the egg and sperm of the intended parents is implanted in the surrogate's womb.

In the Philippines, there is no specific legislation on surrogacy. It is neither recognized nor regulated, which is a challenge for those who want to consider surrogacy as an option for family planning.

Data from the Philippine Society of Reproductive Medicine (PSRM) revealed that there were around 50 surrogacy arrangements in 2019. In early 2023, a House representative introduced a bill to allow and regulate surrogacy procedures in the country.

Surrogacy is already illegal in several countries, especially in ones with strong religious influences on family law, like most European countries, such as France, Germany, and Spain. Other countries like the United Kingdom and Canada allow surrogacy but with strict regulations.

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