QUEENSLAND Catholics concerned about possible changes to the state’s surrogacy laws should act now, according to a leading Catholic bioethicist.
Queensland Bioethics Centre (QBC) director Ray Campbell made the comment after sending a submission last week to a state parliamentary committee investigating whether altruistic surrogacy (where a woman bears another person’s child for no financial benefit) should be decriminalised.
The public consultation period before a decision is made whether to change current surrogacy laws started on June 16 and will end in mid-August.
Mr Campbell said the Church’s position in the submission was, while supporting the decriminalisation of altruistic surrogacy as regards the surrogate mother, it was against the Government legalising this or any other form of surrogacy.
He also appeared before the parliamentary committee in mid-May to present the Church’s viewpoint on the issue prior to presenting the submission.
Among recommendations were that it should be an offence to advertise or promote surrogacy arrangements, Medicare should not fund medical procedures involving surrogacy arrangements, and that in the event that surrogacy occurs, the woman who gives birth should be recognised as the mother of the child.
Mr Campbell will next meet with the committee on behalf of the Brisbane archdiocese on July 7 to discuss his submission.
Mr Campbell told The Catholic Leader that, given the Church’s grave concerns about the impact on children who resulted from surrogacy arrangements, it was important that Catholics look at ways to oppose proposed changes to the law.
“The Church teaches (Donum Vitae) that surrogacy, no matter what form it takes is not responsible motherhood and is against the marital good,” he said.
Mr Campbell advised Catholics wishing to give their input during the public submission period to contact their local member as soon as possible.
“Ask him or her to support measures which discourage all forms of surrogacy.
“We do not want to treat children like commodities.”
