Italy and Vatican call for global ban on surrogacy

Italy and the Vatican have taken a united stand against surrogacy, calling for its international prohibition. The debate in Rome emphasized the ethical, legal and social dimensions of the practice, which both sides see as a violation of human dignity and exploitation of women. The meeting was part of a broader campaign to raise awareness of the issue on the international stage.

The discussion on surrogacy took place Jan. 13 at Palazzo Borromeo, the Italian Embassy to the Holy See. According to Vatican News, the meeting was organized by the Italian Mission to the Vatican in collaboration with the Italian Ministry for Family, Fertility and Equal Opportunities. The purpose of the debate was to draw attention to the ethical, legal and social aspects related to the practice.

Key figures took part in the debate: on the Italian side, the Minister for Family, Fertility and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, spoke, while the Vatican’s position was presented by the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

Monsignor Gallagher clearly stated the position of the Holy See, which categorically rejects the practice of surrogacy. He noted that the practice turns the carrying of a child into a commercial transaction, violating the dignity of both the child, who is reduced to a «product,» and the mother, whose body and fertility are manipulated. The Vatican representative recalled the Pope’s call for an international ban on surrogacy.

Minister Roccella fully supported this initiative, emphasizing that surrogacy cannot be justified by altruism or solidarity. She characterized it as exploitation and violence against women, which she said the United Nations recognizes. Italy, according to the Minister, intends to actively continue working on the international scene to build consensus around a global ban on the practice.

The meeting at the Palazzo Borromeo is part of a major effort by Italy and the Holy See to draw public attention to the issue of surrogacy within the framework of the United Nations. Previously, similar debates have already been organized in New York and Geneva, which underlines the consistency and seriousness of the intentions of both sides on this issue.

Recall, earlier we reported that the Romanian Patriarchate strongly opposed the bill on legalization of prostitution, which was submitted to the Parliament of the country. The Church emphasizes that such a legislative initiative contradicts Orthodox Christianity and the principle of respect for human dignity, while the authors of the bill claim that its purpose is to bring the existing illegal market out of the shadows and strengthen the fight against human trafficking.