Catholic Church and surrogacy: understand the reasons for ethical condemnation

Why does the Catholic Church consider surrogacy to be an immoral practice?

The Church argues that surrogate motherhood breaks the unity of marriage and the dignity of procreation. According to guidelines established since the 1980s, such as the Donum Vitae instruction, the practice fails to fulfill the obligations of maternal love and marital fidelity. Furthermore, the Holy See defends that each child has the fundamental right to be conceived, gestated and raised by their own parents, without there being an artificial division between the physical, psychological and moral elements that form the structure of a traditional family.

What is the difference between traditional surrogacy and the modern version?

As the National Center for Catholic Bioethics explains, traditional surrogacy occurs when the woman carrying the baby is also the biological mother, using her own egg. The modern version uses in vitro fertilization (IVF), a technique in which the embryo is created in a laboratory with gametes from the intended parents or donors and then implanted in the uterus of the surrogate. For the Church, both forms are problematic, as they transform reproductive capacity, which should be sacred, into a type of commercial or technical arrangement dissociated from the conjugal act.

How does the case of baby Gabriel in Texas exemplify the risks of this practice?

The case involved pregnant McKenna West, who fled to Texas to protect her baby after the genetic parents demanded an abortion due to a treatable heart failure found in tests. She was sued for breach of contract, highlighting how these agreements can reduce women to a subservient role and treat children as a product subject to quality control. For Catholic bioethicists, this demonstrates the seriousness of placing human life under contractual clauses that allow pregnancy to be terminated if the ‘product’ does not meet expectations.

Is surrogacy accepted by the Church even without payment?

No, the opposition even extends to the so-called ‘altruistic surrogacy’, in which there is no exchange of money. Although the intentions of the women involved may appear generous and compassionate, the Church understands that the practice maintains the same ethical flaws, such as the exploitation of the female body and the denial of the child’s right to its intact biological and gestational origin. Pope Francis described the practice as deplorable and called for an international ban, reinforcing that the generation of life must occur within the sacred purpose of family union.