COMECE expresses strong concerns over EU Court Advocate General’s Opinion on erasure from baptismal registers

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) expressed concern on Monday regarding an opinion from an Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The non-binding opinion, delivered on October 1, concerns case C-12/25 involving the Diocese of Gent and the erasure of personal data from baptismal registers.

The Advocate General's opinion rejects the practice of adding marginal annotations to baptismal records to reflect a person's wishes. COMECE noted that many national legal systems in EU Member States have previously accepted these annotations as an adequate solution for erasure requests. The Secretariat stated that entirely erasing a person's name and surname from a baptismal record removes the meaning, value, and purpose of the registration.

While the opinion mentions the importance of Church autonomy, religious freedom, and the correct administration of the sacraments, COMECE indicated that several elements of the assessment raise questions. The Advocate General described the legal assessments required for the case as complex and suggested that national courts retain a role in the matter.