EU court adviser says European data rules may allow erasure of baptismal records

An adviser to the Court of Justice of the European Union stated Thursday that European data protection rules may require the Catholic Church to erase personal information from baptismal records upon request.

Laila Medina, the advocate general, issued a nonbinding opinion on Oct. 1 regarding a case brought by the Brussels Court of Appeal. The court sought clarification on whether the Diocese of Ghent in Belgium violated the General Data Protection Regulation by refusing to remove a person's name from its baptismal registers. Medina stated that the data processing used for these records must comply with European data rules.

The Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union argued in September that baptismal records are historical records of events rather than simple membership lists. The bishops stated that erasing these records would infringe on the substance of the sacrament and hinder the functioning of the Church. Pope Leo XIV also expressed that he considers the issue very important during a meeting with European bishops in May 2025.