By Catherine Male
“Jesus will still love you as you age, even if you have a few wrinkles on your face.” These words opened a new Vatican document cautioning Catholics about the growing use of cosmetic surgery.
In a text approved by Pope Leo on March 4, 2026, a leading Vatican commission warned the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics against pursuing cosmetic procedures simply to satisfy vanity. The document cautions that such practices may encourage what it describes as a “cult of the body” and an unrealistic search for physical perfection.
Although the Catholic Church does not forbid cosmetic surgery, it emphasises that believers should approach such procedures with moral reflection. The Church teaches that the human body is created in the image of God and should therefore be treated with dignity and respect.
The warning comes from the International Theological Commission, a body that advises the Vatican on important doctrinal questions.
According to the document, advances in cosmetic surgery are changing how people relate to their bodies. It warns that society is increasingly drawn toward a constant pursuit of a perfect figure—always fit, young and beautiful.
The commission further cautioned against using technology to reshape the body simply to follow changing trends, urging Christians instead to embrace the value and dignity of the body as God created it.
