Statement regarding Pope Francis remarks on surrogacy and IVF

“RESOLVE is deeply troubled by the statements made by Pope Francis on surrogacy, a practice he called ‘despicable’ and equated to human trafficking, and on in-vitro fertilization (IVF), a trusted medical intervention.

Countless people in the U.S., including cancer survivors, those living with complex medical conditions, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and single parents, have turned to surrogacy to help build their families. For these individuals, surrogacy is a modern miracle. The pope’s remarks stigmatize this important practice while creating confusion and spreading misinformation about its use.

To date, millions of babies around the world have been born via IVF, a practice that is considered the gold standard of infertility care. The pope’s remarks add to the stigma around fertility treatment and could discourage people struggling to build their families to explore options to help them navigate these challenges.

RESOLVE will continue to speak out against influential leaders making anti-family statements about medical interventions and decisions that should only be made between patients or intended parents and the experts involved in the process. Anyone struggling to build a family can connect with RESOLVE’s free support services, which include support groups, an online community and our HelpLine. No one should navigate this journey alone.”

Barbara Collura,
President/CEO
RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association