Pope says surrogacy is 'despicable' as he calls for global ban

THE Pope has called for a universal ban on surrogate motherhood after proclaiming that he considers the practice "despicable".

- Nicole Winfield

Condemning what he called the "commercialisation" of pregnancy, Pope Francis said the life of an unborn child must not be "suppressed or turned into an object of trafficking".

He added: "I consider despicable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother's material needs." In a speech yesterday in which he listed threats to global peace and human dignity, he called for the international community "to prohibit this practice universally".

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