The Constitutional Court of Croatia has determined that children born through surrogacy will receive Croatian birth certificates, despite surrogacy being banned in the country, as highlighted in a recent speech by Archbishop Dražen Kutleša.
Recently, a traditional prayer breakfast was held in Veliki Kaptol, featuring Zagreb Archbishop Monsignor Dražen Kutleša, who spoke on various moral issues including surrogacy. He critiqued surrogacy, calling it a sign of a culture that measures the value of life by its usefulness, amidst a broader conversation about life issues from conception to natural death. His comments sparked significant attention as they addressed the anthropological crisis and the implications of relativism in understanding good and evil.
During his address, the Archbishop notably mentioned the recent ruling by the Croatian Constitutional Court, which confirmed that children born via surrogacy would now be eligible for Croatian birth certificates. This development has caused concern since surrogacy is specifically prohibited in Croatia. Archbishop Kutleša framed the court's decision as a troubling shortcut that compromises human rights and opens doors for practices that are legally banned in the country, emphasizing the dangers of normalizing surrogacy in a society facing ethical dilemmas.
Kutleša's statements reflect a broader apprehension within the Croatian Catholic community regarding the implications of surrogacy and other related moral issues. His position as a measured individual in Croatian society lends weight to the concerns he raised, indicating that such legal decisions could lead to significant cultural shifts regarding the definition of family and the status of children within legal frameworks. The ongoing discourse around these topics is crucial as they define not only national identity but also moral obligations towards life and human dignity.
