While Pope Francis is clear that the Catholic Church isn’t authorizing surrogacy, he has publicly stated that it may sometimes be a woman’s only hope to have children. In a recent interview, he went on to say that the “other hope” would be adoption, and the goal in deciding what to do should involve both medical and moral considerations. His biggest concern, it appears, is that surrogacy can become a business, which the Pope is very much against.

Each situation is very personal and unique, and the Pope pointed out that there’s a general rule and then there are the realities of the individual cases. He shared that moral principles are very important to him and should be at the forefront of anything a woman does when considering reproductive assistance, but there are times when surrogacy can provide the hope and an option that is needed to create or expand a family.

One of the examples used in the Pope’s interview was cancer survivors, who may not have the opportunity to become pregnant and carry children. For them, and for others in difficult circumstances, having the option for surrogacy continues to be vitally important. During his interview, the Pope also spoke about the hope he finds in everything. While he knows that there are problems and bad things that happen, he sees hope everywhere.

Women who are looking for options to create families can feel encouraged by that hope, and the beauty all around them, as they work toward the right options for their specific needs. Whether they focus on surrogacy, choose to adopt, or decide to accept a life without children, thinking about the moral and medical options that are best for their situation is what he said matters.

Pope Francis has shown himself to be more accepting than many of his predecessors and has welcomed people who would not have been able to be part of the Church in the past. With his position on many areas that weren’t discussed so openly before, he’s helping bring more information to women who may want to follow the rules of the Church but also need non-traditional means to have children.

There are many ways to create a family or grow your family. If you feel that Assisted Reproductive Technology is the best option for you, The Surrogacy Law Center can help you protect your legal rights throughout the process. Contact us today to learn more!