The child in surrogacy

– Katie Yoder, OSV News

I watched my dear friend's newborn daughter intently. As she snuggled into my arms, I etched her face into my memory: her chubby cheeks, her flowing hair, her rosy lips, and her delicate nose. I was only just beginning to know her. And yet, when her bright eyes met mine, I knew she was perfect. She was perfect simply for being herself.

I recalled that moment from last weekend and what perfection means while reading stories about surrogate mothers—women who carry and give birth to babies on behalf of other people—who have refused to abort against the wishes of the baby's biological parents. 

More recently, in a case that national pro-life leaders are bringing to light, an Alaskan surrogate mother refused to terminate the life of the baby in her womb after being diagnosed with a serious congenital heart condition.

A look at the sector

How does the surrogacy industry address the issue of abortion? Research with several surrogacy agencies concluded that abortion usually occurs when the baby—or the situation—is not what society would consider “normal” or “perfect.”.

The most common reason for "selective termination" or "reduction" is when a surrogate mother becomes pregnant with multiple babies or when the babies are diagnosed with genetic or medical abnormalities, according to a surrogacy agency in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Another major surrogacy agency based in Los Angeles agrees that abortion is most often considered for medical reasons. The agency states that it has seen abortions performed for reasons such as a reduced number of babies in a pregnancy, severe intrauterine growth restriction, diagnoses of Down syndrome or other genetic conditions, and diagnoses of birth defects.

Sometimes for other reasons

In other cases, the reason for an abortion may have nothing to do with the baby. A surrogacy agency in Des Moines, Iowa, adds that couples seeking a surrogate mother may want an abortion due to their own divorce, breakup, terminal diagnosis, or death.

Church's recognition of the dignity of the child and of women

The Church foresees this commodification of the human person and condemns surrogacy as a whole, recognizing something higher: the dignity of the child and the woman involved.

“By transforming gestation into a negotiable service, a violation occurs dignity "Both the child, who is reduced to a 'product', and the mother, exploiting her body and the generative process, and distorting the original relational vocation of the family," Pope Leo XIV said about surrogacy earlier this year.

Her words echoed those of Pope Francis, who stated in a 2024 speech: “I consider the practice of so-called surrogacy deplorable, as it represents a grave violation of the dignity of women and children, based on the exploitation of the mother’s material needs. A child is always a gift and never the basis of a commercial contract.”.

Life is a gift

Other Church documents, from the 1987 Vatican instruction on respect for human life, “Donum Vitae”, to the 2024 Vatican declaration on human dignity, “Dignitas Infinita”, denounce surrogacy while emphasizing that life is a gift.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which quotes “Donum vitae”,“ he declares that ”a child is not something that one owes, but a gift.”.

“A child cannot be considered property, an idea to which a supposed 'right to the child' would lead,‘ it reads later. ’In this area, only the child possesses genuine rights: the right to be the fruit of the specific act of conjugal love of his or her parents, and the right to be respected as a person from the moment of conception.”.

An expression of 'unwavering love'‘

Perhaps we can understand how surrogate mothers may feel they are helping other women build their families. We can see the noble desire of couples to have children. We can—and should—love children born through surrogacy as individuals with intrinsic dignity and worth. 

But that doesn't mean we can't question the human cost. That doesn't mean we can't condemn the practice of surrogacy and its connection to abortion, where people can decide how and when to begin and end the life of an innocent and vulnerable person. Where they can determine someone's worth based on perfection, as defined by the world.

Human dignity precedes and transcends each person

As Pope Leo XIV wrote in his new encyclical, “Magnifica humanitas”Human dignity does not depend on a person’s abilities, wealth or social position, nor on the right or wrong decisions they have made; rather, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, bestowed by God as an expression of his inexhaustible love.“.

Our life, our dignity, our humanity have never been about being free of flaws. It's about each of us being loved and loving in return.

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– Katie Yoder writes for OSV News from Maryland.

This information was originally published on OSV News. You can consult it. here.