On January 9, Pope Leo XIV delivered his annual “State of the World” address to ambassadors from 184 nations, using the occasion to speak forcefully on issues he said threaten the dignity of human life.
In the wide-ranging speech, the Holy Father called for a global ban on surr%gacy and renewed international commitment to protecting the unborn. He warned stating that “modern practices and policies are increasingly reducing human life to a commodity”, describing this trend as the growing “commercialization of life.”
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Addressing surr%gacy directly, the pope cautioned stating that “practice turns both children and women into objects of contracts and financial exchange”. He noted that such arrangements often exploit vulnerable women and strip children of their inherent dignity.
The pontiff stressed that no ideology or economic interest should outweigh the value of human life, insisting that “human dignity must always come before ideology.” He urged world leaders to adopt laws and policies that respect life at every stage and ensure that progress never comes at the expense of fundamental human values.
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