PREVIEW

Vatican Lists Surrogate Motherhood Among Threats to Global Peace and Human Dignity. On January 8, Pope Francis called for a universal ban on surrogate motherhood, which he called the "commercialization" of pregnancy. ABC reports that the pontiff made the statement while giving an annual speech listing what the Vatican considers threats to global peace and human dignity. According to Francis, the annual address comes at a time when peace has been , "increasingly threatened, weakened and in some part lost.". The pope reportedly cited Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Israel's war against Hamas, the worsening climate crisis and the production of both nuclear and conventional weapons. Francis also listed smaller-scale problems the Vatican considers threats to peace and human dignity. In regards to surrogacy, Francis said the lives of unborn children need to be protected and must not be , “suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking.” "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.", Pope Francis, via ABC. According to the pope, a child should never be considered, "the basis of a commercial contract," , while calling for a global ban on the practice of surrogacy. ABC reports that critics have accused commercial surrogacy of exploiting women from poor, vulnerable communities. Supporters of the practice say the process gives women a chance to provide childless couples with children of their own. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT