The Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations has issued a poignant statement highlighting the ethical and legal risks of surrogacy, asserting that technology has “run laps around ethics.” During a side event of the 70th Commission on the Status of Women, the Mission emphasized that while some see surrogacy as a compassionate solution for aspiring parents, the practice often facilitates the systemic exploitation of women and children.
Central to the Holy See’s concern is the economic disparity inherent in the industry. The statement notes that surrogate mothers often cite financial necessity as their primary motivation, creating a “perverse competition” where the wealthy commission children from the poor. If poverty were eradicated, the Mission suggests, the surrogacy industry might struggle to survive. Furthermore, the document warns that even “altruistic” models can disguise payments or involve familial pressure on vulnerable women who lack independent legal or medical counsel.
The commodification of children is equally scrutinized. The Mission argues that surrogacy treats children as “products” rather than gifts, especially in cases where prenatal diagnoses of disability lead to rejection. Citing the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Holy See affirms a child’s right to be created through an act of love and to know their parents. Referencing both Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV, the statement concludes that transforming gestation into a negotiable service violates human dignity and distorts the family. Consequently, the Holy See calls for a global end to surrogacy in all forms to protect against such violence.
