Pope condemns abortion and surrogacy as against human dignity

Pope Francis has denounced abortions and the carrying of children by surrogate mothers as grave offences against human dignity.

In a declaration of principles published by the Vatican on Monday, the head of the Catholic Church also described gender reassignment and "gender theory" as offences against what he said was the God-given dignity of human beings.

A human being - whether unborn or not - is always something sacred and inviolable, according to the document. The termination of a pregnancy means nothing other than denying human dignity to the "most defenceless" beings.

The Vatican's latest declaration draws a parallel between abortion and surrogacy - when a woman carries a child on behalf of someone else and then gives it to them after the birth. In this way, the declaration says, a child becomes a "mere object" and the dignity of the woman is violated for reasons of profit.

The Vatican as an institution has taken a clear stance against gender reassignment.

The declaration, called Dignitas infinita (Infinite dignity) was published after years of preparation by the Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith under the leadership of Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, who, like the pope, comes from Argentina.

Francis had previously approved it. The topics addressed in it also include war, poverty, migration, human trafficking and violence against women.