ROME – Pope Francis called Monday for a universal ban on the “heinous” practice of surrogacy, as he included the “commercialization” of pregnancy in an annual address listing threats to global peace and human dignity.
In a foreign policy address to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Francis lamented that 2024 has ushered in a time in history where peace is “increasingly threatened, weakened and partially lost.”
Citing Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, migration, the climate crisis and the “immoral” production of nuclear and conventional weapons, Francis delivered a long laundry list of human ills and the increasing violations of international humanitarian law that allow them.
But Francis also listed small-scale issues that he said threatened peace and human dignity, including surrogacy.
Pope Francis calls for a universal ban on surrogate parents. Getty Images
Francis said the life of the unborn must be protected and not “oppressed or made an object of trafficking.”
Saying children are gifts and “never the basis of a commercial contract,” he called for a global ban on surrogacy “to universally prohibit this practice.”
Francis has previously voiced the Catholic Church’s opposition to what he calls “wombs for hire,” and several European countries have banned them, including Spain and Italy.
The Pope called surrogacy the “commercialization” of pregnancy. Kennedy Smith / SWNS
However, at the same time, the Vatican’s doctrinal office has clarified that homosexual parents who use surrogacy can ask for their children to be baptized.
In his geopolitical round, Francis singled out the name of Russia, stating that “a massive war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine” had begun.
It marked a remarkable break with Francis’s usual tendency to outright dismiss Moscow, publicly blaming the invasion while expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
Francis was more balanced in his laments over Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, condemning the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel “and every incident of terrorism and extremism.”
At the same time, he said the attack triggered a “strong Israeli military response” that has left thousands dead and created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
He called for an immediate ceasefire, including in Lebanon, the release of hostages held in Gaza, and reiterated the Holy See’s position of seeking a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and an internationally guaranteed special status for Jerusalem.
In another comment, Francis:
— Lamented various humanitarian and refugee crises in Africa, and without naming names blasted military coups and elections in several African countries marked by “corruption, intimidation and violence.”
— Called for “respectful diplomatic dialogue” with the Nicaraguan government to resolve what it called a “protracted crisis.” The government’s crackdown on the Catholic Church has resulted in the arrest of dozens of priests and bishops. The government has accused the church of aiding popular protests against its administration, which it considers an attempted coup.
He spoke extensively about how to achieve world peace. via REUTERS
— Urged to resume, as soon as possible, the Iran nuclear talks “to ensure a safer future for all.” Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had increased the rate at which it was producing near-weapons-grade uranium, reversing a previous slowdown.
Francis also said that the “production” of nuclear weapons is just as immoral as their possession and use.
Francis has changed church teaching to include the possession of nuclear weapons as unacceptable, but on Monday included the production of such weapons as part of his overall criticism of the arms industry.
“Perhaps we need to realize more clearly that civilian casualties are not ‘collateral damage’ (of war) but men and women, with names and surnames, who lose their lives,” he said. “They are orphans and lost their future.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
