Pope Francis seeks global ban on surrogacy

Pope Francis has called for a global ban on surrogacy, saying the practice of a woman carrying another person’s child was “deplorable”.

The Catholic pontiff made this known in his New Year’s address to diplomats at the Vatican, stressing that surrogacy was a

“grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child”.

His speech was also dominated by calls for an end to conflicts around the world, noting that the path to peace calls for respect for life.

“In this regard, I deem deplorable 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.

“A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.

“Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally,” the Pope said.