On the issue of surrogacy, it’s the Pope’s critics who are archaic and uninformed

Jan 16, 2024 by Jill

by Michael Cook, Mercator:

Fireworks erupted last week after Pope Francis demanded a global ban on the practice of surrogacy. He described it as “deplorable” and “a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child”. “A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”

As a sign of how serious he was, he included this plea in his annual foreign policy speech to the Vatican diplomatic corps, along with Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, Armenia and other hotspots for war and violations of human rights.

The Pope’s critics pulled at the heartstrings – surrogacy is a way for childless people to build a loving family. “The Pope’s opinions on surrogacy are outdated, uninformed and condescending to the women who choose to be surrogates,” wrote an Australian surrogacy lawyer who has also been a surrogate mother in the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Surrogacy is relied heavily upon for people who have no other options and really really want to grow their family,” Stephanie Levich, of Family Match Consulting, told People magazine.

“It’s insensitive and not in touch with the world,” Judith Hoechst, a surrogacy lawyer in Denver, told USA Today. “My son would not be on this Earth but for God, and God makes no mistakes.”

But it is supporters of surrogacy who are out of touch. Most people believe that a typical couple looking for a surrogate mother have been trying for years and are making one last throw of the dice. In fact, demand for surrogate mothers is being fuelled by the rise in the number of gay couples, especially after the legalisation of same-sex marriage. They believe that they have a right to a child and that a ban would be an outrageous form of discrimination.

A quick scan of the websites of IVF clinics and surrogacy agencies will show how important the gay market is. Check out Hatch, Circle Surrogacy, Same Love Surrogacy, ConceiveAbilities, or Growing Generations. The acronym LGBT should be expanded to LGSBT to include surrogacy.

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