Pope Francis called on Monday (January 8) for a global ban on parenting via surrogacy, calling the practice "deplorable" and a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child.

Francis' remarks are likely to antagonize pro-LGBT+ groups since surrogacy is often used by gay or lesbian partners who want to have children and follow his landmark decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples.

"I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother's material needs," he said.

"Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally."

Francis, 87, made his comments in a 45-minute address to Vatican-accredited diplomats, which is sometimes called his "state of the world" speech.