ATHENS — Pope Francis, 87 and single, is deploying sex as a weapon against the self-styled arbiters of a reimagined social order based in Brussels. In his annual diplomatic address this week, the Pope called for a global ban on surrogacy, which he denounced as a “despicable act”. This puts the Vatican, unconsciously or not, in lockstep with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and with the prevailing sentiment in other prominent European countries, such as Greece.
Beyond the immediate implications of Pope Francis’s unflinchingly outspoken stance on hot-button topics, his comments furthered Europe’s long-simmering north-south divide and encouraged more countries like Italy and Greece to It would make matters worse by pitting traditional societies against the more socially liberal northern societies. It adds another monkey wrench to the EU’s already fragile socio-political cohesion.
For many who oppose the nationalist tendencies and strict progressivism of the European project, that is not at all a bad thing. But for everyone in the region, the risks to the upcoming European Parliament elections will be even higher.
Pope Francis is primarily concerned about the ethics of childbirth when childbirth is not the result of sexual union between a man and a woman. In normal times, this would hardly be a topic of discussion, but in an age when even teenagers can undergo gender reassignment surgery, conversations about the pros and cons of surrogacy seem almost bizarre.
“I consider the practice of so-called surrogacy to be despicable,” Francisco said, “a gross violation of the dignity of women and children, based on a situation that exploits the material needs of the mother.” added. He dispelled any doubts about his position on the issue, adding that children should not be the “basis for commercial contracts.”
Surrogacy is a common practice in the United States and is recognized in European countries, including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Portugal, Ukraine, and Russia, but not in Italy. In Italy, Signora Meloni, like the Pope, has slammed the practice of surrogacy. As a “rental womb”.
In May, Italy’s prime minister said, “Childbirth is not for sale, and the womb is not for rent. Children are not commercially available items that you can choose to return to.” Signora Meloni, biting back at her own anger, is pushing for the criminalization of Italians shopping for surrogate mothers abroad.
This caused many Italian same-sex couples to panic. The case also exposes a seeming contradiction in the Vatican, as just last month the French pope said priests could bless gay couples. But that wasn’t the same as endorsing something called the gay lifestyle. By default, male couples cannot reproduce without human intervention such as surrogate parents.
This new battle in the culture wars is already reverberating beyond Rome. Athens has now entered the fray. Prime Minister Mitsotakis on Monday resisted left-wing demands to legalize surrogacy, saying Greece “will not become a testing ground” and adding: “We will listen to opinions and respect dissent, but we will not legislate. It’s a nation,” he said. ”
Introducing a new bill on same-sex marriage, another divisive issue in the country where the Greek Orthodox Church is so influential, Mitsotakis said same-sex male couples would not be allowed to have children through surrogates. As stated, only through the adoption process.
This would be like a wrecking ball with the name of the European Union written all over it, written primarily, but not exclusively, by a protagonist who is from the South. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán has long opposed the liberal social policies that dominate Brussels. Supporters of the EU tend to avoid dissent, reinforcing the perception that the EU prefers to govern by discretion rather than democratic debate.
This battle will only become more intense. Last month, a majority of members of the European Parliament backed a new law that would create a ‘European Parenthood Certificate’ and implement free surrogacy and gay adoption laws across the EU.
European Catholic groups have already criticized the bill as an attack on the traditional family. Conservative politicians across Europe, particularly Matteo Salvini, a colleague of France’s Marine Le Pen and Italy’s Signora Meloni, are already busy preparing for June’s European Parliament elections. What is their purpose? This is to send liberal MPs packing. If the latter is planning a vacation, there’s a good chance it won’t be a Roman vacation.