The Vatican says surrogacy and gender theory are ‘grave threats’ to human dignity

By Jason DeRose (NPR)
April 8, 2024 2:47 p.m.
The crowd looks in direction of the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during Pope Francis' prayer on April 1 in The Vatican.

The crowd looks in direction of the window of the apostolic palace overlooking St. Peter's square during Pope Francis' prayer on April 1 in The Vatican.

TizianaI Fabi / AFP via Getty Images

The Vatican has released a new document on human dignity in which it says surrogacy, gender theory and abortion are among the "grave threats" to the human condition.

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The document, called "Infinite Dignity" says the concept itself originates from the love of the creator "who has imprinted the indelible features of his image on every person."

It details what the Vatican sees as grave violations of dignity. Poverty, war and the abuse of migrants lead that list.

But it says the notion can be misused to justify what it calls an "arbitrary proliferation of new rights."

The document also describes what some consider legal "rights" as violations: abortion, surrogacy and assisted suicide.

And the Vatican includes gender theory and sex change as grave violations of human dignity, saying "creation must be received as a gift."

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