No Right to Erase Baptism

The European Court of Justice is considering whether a person can use data protection laws to remove their name from Church baptismal records.

A non-practicing Catholic in Belgium has requested that the Diocese of Ghent strike his name from baptismal registers by invoking the right to erasure under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. The Diocese of Ghent has refused the request.

The case examines whether baptism constitutes an irreversible spiritual change or personal data that can be deleted upon demand. Historically, mainstream Christian teaching has maintained that baptism is unique, unrepeatable, and permanent.