New data protection law: Church reforms rules for gigabyte faith!

New data protection law: Church reforms rules for gigabyte faith!

This year the Catholic Church of Carinthia will once again offer guests the opportunity to experience mountain spirituality to the fullest. The highlight are the summit and alpine fairs that take place on numerous Carinthian mountains. These events not only provide a poignant opportunity to celebrate faith, but also to enjoy the breathtaking nature surrounding the mountain peaks. A particular focus is on creating meeting spaces in which the connection between people and creation is in the foreground. The Diocese of Gurk team warmly invites the community to take part in these spiritual experiences, which prove to be a true source of strength. It's probably no wonder that the mountain fairs are so popular because they appeal to people's hearts in these often hectic times reports the Catholic Church of Carinthia.

However, an area of ​​tension is currently running through the Catholic Church in Germany, where reforms in data protection law are on the agenda. Loud katholisch.de The law on church data protection (KDG) will be amended to ensure better adaptation to current social needs. It is planned that the changes will come into force at the beginning of 2026 at the earliest. One focus is on dealing with cases of sexual abuse, for which special regulations are created to make data processing easier.

Important changes in data protection law

The new data protection law will introduce important changes. For example, the right to deletion for baptismal registers and church records is expressly excluded. In addition, there are regulations for the legally secure transmission of church services via the Internet, which could greatly promote digital participation in church services. The reform is a response to the applicable standards of the European General Data Protection Regulation (EU-GDPR) and is being developed in close coordination with the German Caritas Association and other Catholic associations represents domradio.

Another point concerns fines. These are being increased rapidly: the maximum limit increases from the previous 500,000 euros to one million euros - for economically active church bodies even up to three million euros. It is also made clear that consent to data processing will no longer necessarily have to be given in writing in the future, which should be a relief for many church institutions.

Strengthening data protection

A central aspect of the reform is strengthening the independence and powers of church data protection supervision. These measures are intended to ensure that the processing of personal data not only takes church specifics into account, but also meets general legal requirements. Before it comes into force, broad feedback will be obtained from dioceses, the German Caritas Association and the affected associations in order to put the finishing touches to the new draft law.

The Catholic Church strives to find the balance between tradition and the demands of the modern world - while spiritual experiences are celebrated in the mountains, data protection law and its reforms are on the agenda in the churches. Living spirituality and responsible handling of personal data can therefore go hand in hand.