Right to children or children’s rights? Surrogacy debate comes to a head in Rome

By NICOLE WINFIELD
Associated Press

ROME (AP) — An international campaign to ban surrogacy has received a strong endorsement from the Vatican. A top official is calling for a broad-based alliance to stop the “commercialization of life” catering to wealthy would-be parents. A Vatican-affiliated university hosted a two-day conference promoting an international treaty to outlaw surrogacy. Campaigners argue that the practice violates U.N. conventions protecting the rights of the child and surrogate mother. Across town, Italy’s main gay family advocacy group Rainbow Families organized a counter-rally to protest proposed legislation in Italy to criminalize Italians who use surrogates even abroad.