Constitutional Autonomy Meets Data Protection: European Religious Institutions’ Responses to the GDPR

Ahmed M. Bamashmoos

The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 2025, vol. 23, issue 3, 72-85

Abstract: European religious institutions now face heightened scrutiny under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), raising critical questions about faith-based autonomy, privacy rights, and global regulatory norms. This article investigates how religious institutions reconcile longstanding doctrinal practices—such as sacramental or analogous ritual registers, pastoral (or spiritual-care) confidentiality, and communal memory—with stringent individual-data protections. Drawing on a comparative analysis of Germany, France, Poland, and the United Kingdom (UK), including the UK’s domesticated UK GDPR regime, the study reveals that data protection is increasingly framed as an ethical extension of pastoral or spiritual care; faith communities require a certain degree of freedom to fulfill their spiritual, even as it challenges deep-rooted beliefs regarding irrevocable sacraments and the “right to be forgotten.” By emphasizing how legal pluralism and religious freedom intersect, this research provides a policy-relevant perspective on the broader tension between emerging data laws and internal governance structures of faith communities. Ultimately, the findings offer actionable insights for faith leaders, policymakers, and scholars navigating the promise and peril of religion in a digitally driven international arena.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/15570274.2025.2531636

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