Monsignor Paul Gallagher condemns surrogacy as “new colonialism,” urging global unity to defend women’s and children’s dignity.
Newsroom (14/01/2026 Gaudium Press)At an international conference hosted by the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations of the Holy See, issued an unequivocal denunciation of surrogacy, describing it as a “new form of colonialism.” His remarks came during the event “A Common Front for Human Dignity: Preventing the Commodification of Women and Children in Surrogacy,” held on Tuesday, January 13, at the Borromeo Palace in Rome.
The gathering, part of an awareness initiative led by the Italian Ministry for Family, Birth Rate and Equal Opportunities and promoted jointly with the Holy See at the United Nations, sought to ignite international debate on the ethical, legal, and social implications of surrogacy. Representatives of the Vatican and diplomats joined voices in calling attention to growing concerns over what they term the “commodification” of human life.
A Call for Global Solidarity
In his address, Bishop Gallagher declared that surrogacy represents a universal moral challenge requiring “a united front to stop the commodification of women and children.” He argued that this practice prioritizes adults’ desires over children’s rights, casting human beings as tradable goods. Echoing Pope Francis’ own critiques, he emphasized that the practice “exploits bodies and empties relationships,” undermining the sacred bond between mother and child.
Citing the Pope’s earlier speech to the Diplomatic Corps, Gallagher reiterated that “turning gestation into a negotiable service violates the dignity of both mother and child.” Pope Francis had warned that such transactions distort the generative process and “alter the original relational vocation of the family.” Bishop Gallagher reasserted the Vatican’s position that surrogacy dehumanizes all involved, reducing motherhood to a service and childhood to a product.
“A New Colonialism” and Exploitation of the Vulnerable
Bishop Gallagher further described surrogacy as “the sale of a child, handed over to buyers by virtue of a contract that puts adult interests at the center.” He warned that even when presented as an act of generosity, it effectively transforms both women’s bodies and children into commodities. “It is the sale of a child,” he stated firmly, “reducing women’s bodies to mere reproductive instruments.”
Drawing parallels to global inequalities, Gallagher condemned surrogacy as a “new form of colonialism” that preys upon economic vulnerability. He noted that women’s consent in such arrangements is frequently shaped by financial pressures, thus eroding the moral legitimacy of the practice. Feminist organizations, he observed, have also spoken against surrogacy, citing its exploitative nature and its corrosive effect on women’s autonomy.
Rejecting Regulation in Favor of Abolition
Gallagher concluded by rejecting efforts to establish an international regulatory framework for surrogacy, arguing that legalizing the practice would only entrench systemic exploitation. “Regulation,” he warned, “would generate more children destined to be sold.” Instead, he called for its “total abolition,” positioning the Vatican firmly against any normalization of surrogacy in global law or policy.
Diplomatic Voices Join Debate
The conference featured additional remarks from Italian Ambassador to the Holy See Francesco Di Nitto, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Cypriot Ambassador George Poulides, and Italy’s Minister for Family, Birth Rate and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella. Each emphasized the urgent need to defend the inherent dignity of all human life in the face of practices that threaten to commercialize it.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Prensa
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