European bishops warn against erasing baptismal records

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) published a 15-page position paper arguing against the erasure of names from baptismal records. The bishops stated that these documents reflect a theological reality rather than just administrative data and warned that allowing individuals to delete their records would encroach on religious liberty and interfere with internal Church matters.

The position paper comes as the Court of Justice of the European Union prepares to rule on the Bisdom Gent case. This legal dispute asks whether the right to data erasure under the General Data Protection Regulation applies to baptismal registers.

COMECE argued that baptismal registers are not simple membership lists but records of historical facts. The bishops are seeking autonomy for the Church to maintain the integrity of these records.