Pope Francis called for an end to surrogacy and criticized Western culture’s lack of respect for human life in a statement to global ambassadors at a general assembly, according to a January 2024 CatholicVote article. Many Catholics at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) are in support of the pope’s statements.
“The path to peace calls for respect for every human life, starting with the life of the unborn child in the mother’s womb. In this regard, I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood,” said Pope Francis in the CatholicVote article.
BGSU Catholics mentioned in interviews the pope’s statements are in line with the teachings of the Catholic church and should be true for all Catholics, especially those in the BGSU community.
Fr Jeff Walker, pastor of St. Thomas More University Parish, provided insight into Pope Francis’s points.
“There’s a lot of truth behind the pope’s statements. We have, as a culture, tried to take control of the reproductive process. The reality that surrogacy and in vitro fertilization fall outside of God’s plan – that’s nothing new. I think you can see very clearly how both of those choices turn human life into a commodity, and that’s not how we treat human life. Human life is not for sale,” he said.
The pope called out the West specifically in the CatholicVote article for having a ‘culture of death.’ Walker stated Pope Francis’s statements regarding the importance of human life and dignity are aligned with the statements of popes before him.
“It’s very much in line with Pope Benedict before him and Pope John Paul the Second, who I think coined the term ‘culture of death’ to describe the Western world. We tend to see all human life as a commodity. We have lost the sense of respect for life itself,” Walker said.
Catholic Falcon Melanie Whipple shared a similar perspective to Walker’s regarding the pope’s statements.
“(Surrogacy) dehumanizes not only the child, but the mother being used only for her body so that the baby can be born. I respect the pope, I think we should definitely listen to what he has to say,” she said.
Megan Stibley, treasurer of the Catholic Falcons core team, explained Pope Francis’s statements are sometimes viewed as controversial among Catholics.
“I know there’s been some discrepancy with the pope and how much he’s standing on church teachings. I think it’s really great that he’s standing behind this firmly. The Catholic church stands for life at all moments. If the pope didn’t say these things, he could put off that the Catholic church isn’t super passionate about this,” she said.
Both Stibley and Whipple mentioned the pro-abortion sentiments in the United States and at BGSU are likely part of the ‘culture of death’ that the pope deemed problematic.
While some members of the Catholic church are critical of Pope Francis’s statements, most Catholics at BGSU found his statements on surrogacy and the dignity of human life unifying and an accurate reflection of the teachings of the Catholic church.
Also see: https://catholicvote.org/pope-francis-says-surrogacy-despicable-calls-for-universal-ban/?mkt_tok=NDI3LUxFUS0wNjYAAAGQkfQNg54Dz0C9bmate5uiZSG__oPi-6L-0qVe9n3SCdUg8xiD96Aw4g6W9o0RnZxH9N7s2G_bCkHf1FBwWJ2bqynkPRvCHYwv_jK9pA2F
