Protection of personal data and personal rights

Fr. Piotr Kroczek’s chapter analyses the importance of protecting personal data and personal rights in contemporary society and in the Catholic Church in Poland, stressing the need for strong safeguards for the natural person also within canonical procedures concerning the administration of justice and the protection of minors. He argues that such regulations must not be perceived as obstacles, since efforts to ensure justice, safeguard minors, and protect personal data and personal rights share the same axiomatic foundation in the innate and supernatural dignity of the human person, a principle likewise recognised in Polish law. The chapter clarifies key notions related to personal data and personal rights in both canonical and civil perspectives, referring, among others, to the 2018 General Decree of the Polish Bishops’ Conference and GDPR, and identifies legal bases that can be used to ensure their effective protection in the Church’s practical activity.