Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 4, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleA Vatican document, approved by Pope Leo, cautions Catholics against cosmetic surgery that fuels a “cult of the body,” emphasizing that true human dignity lies in accepting aging and honoring the body created in God’s image, not in chasing physical perfection.
By Joshua McElwee
VATICAN CITY, March 4 (Reuters) - Jesus will still love you as you age, even if you have a few wrinkles on your face, according to a Vatican document issued on Wednesday.
In a new text approved by Pope Leo, a top Vatican commission warned the world's 1.4 billion Catholics against using cosmetic surgery, saying it can lead to a "cult of the body" and an unrealistic search for a perfect figure.
"Advances in cosmetic surgery … offer tools that significantly change the relationship with one's corporeality," said the document.
"A widespread 'cult of the body' follows, tending toward a frantic search for a perfect figure, always fit, young, and beautiful."
The Catholic Church teaches that the human body is made in the image of God. While the Church does not prohibit cosmetic surgery, it says Catholics should not pursue procedures merely to suit their vanity.
The new warning came in a document from the Vatican's International Theological Commission, which advises the pope on doctrinal questions facing the Church.
The commission warned against cosmetic surgery as part of a long reflection on procedures using technology to advance humanity.
It also warned against a future where artificial intelligence "risks escaping the control of human reason" and where humans might choose to have mechanical implants in order to become akin to "cyborgs."
Cosmetic surgery can lead to an attitude of changing your body "according to the tastes of the moment," the text warned.
"A curious situation arises: the ideal body is exalted ... while the real body is not truly loved, since it is a source of limits, fatigue, aging," it said.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee, editing by Alvise Armellini, Aidan Lewis)
The Vatican warned that cosmetic surgery can lead to a 'cult of the body' and an unhealthy obsession with achieving a perfect figure.
The Catholic Church does not prohibit cosmetic surgery but advises against seeking it solely for vanity.
The document was released by the Vatican's International Theological Commission and approved by Pope Leo.
The Vatican warned about advances in artificial intelligence and the risk of humans adopting mechanical implants to become 'cyborgs.'
The Vatican argues that the 'cult of the body' exalts an unrealistic ideal and does not reflect true self-love or acceptance of natural aging.
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