As of January 8th, Pope Francis declares that there should be a worldwide ban on surrogacy (the process of when a woman carries and births a child for another couple), claiming the practice is “based on the exploitation of situations of mother’s material needs,” and that the practice was deplorable.

On that Monday the pope had given a speech at Vatican City, making bold claims such as saying surrogacy is based solely off making a profit off children, that it “threatens human dignity” and there must be an effort to ban this practice globally.

This was not the first time the Pope expressed prejudice against the practice, as back in 2022 he told the Federation of Associations of Catholic Families in Europe that surrogacy was an “inhuman practice” that “treated children like merchandise.” As far as it is known, Pope Francis has never practiced surrogacy or had any experiences with a woman who is choosing to be a surrogate and is backing up these claims exclusively from opinion.

Back in December of 2023, the Pope allowed the blessing of same sex couples, although still making sure it was known that this was not an act of marriage, and that marriage was strictly man and women. With him now calling for a ban on surrogacy, it really drives home the separation of the LGBTQ2+ community. By taking away their main way of starting a family, and not blessing their marriages, the Pope is making it clear which way of life he thinks should be lived, and that you cannot truly be a part of the Catholic Church if you cannot respect his beliefs.

In Romans 18, the Bible says, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”