Surrogate motherhood is no different from prostitution, according to Bishop Nikolay, the radical Bulgarian Orthodox Bishop of Plovdiv.

Speaking after a service in Plovdiv on Wednesday on the occasion of the arrival of holy relics of Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, the parents of Virgin Mary, Nikolay mentioned surrogacy while commenting on a recent case in which Bulgarian heroin-addicts offered their newborn baby "on sale" in an online forum for EUR 5 000.

"Two days after I reminded the position of the Holy Synod [of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church] about surrogate motherhood, and I was duly abused, the media exploded with the news that a child was offered for sale on the Internet. All were indignant. But I am asking, what is the difference between the sale of this child, and the future legal surrogate mothers?" the bishop stated, referring to changes in the Bulgarian legislation, as cited by Darik Plovdiv.

Bishop Nikolay went on to quote the Bulgarian-Bulgarian dictionary on the meaning of "surrogate" as an "inadequate replacement".

"The child [of a surrogate mother] will not be a child, it will be an inferior product," he argued.

"If we now accept surrogacy, how can we reject prostitution, procuring, human trafficking? What are our arguments against these things because the principle is the same – doing business and freedom of agreement?" the Plovdiv Bishop said.

On August 15, Dormition of Mary, Bishop Nikolay spurred public debate after declaring that surrogate motherhood and celibacy are sins, and urging a crackdown on corruption in the adoption of children.