Church goes to court to stop believers deserting 04/01/2007 00:00

4 January 2007

MADRID — The Roman Catholic Church has launched a legal battle to stop parishioners leaving the flock.

The Spanish daily El Pais reported on Thursday how, faced with dwindling congregations, the Church has taken the matter to the High Court.

In Madrid and Valencia, bishops are to challenge the growing practice of apostasy, or people renouncing their faith.

The archbishops of these regions are battling the Spanish Data Protection Agency, which told the Church to note down all apostasy requests and cancel all related personal data.

The Church argues a baptism record is not a register for Catholics, but a mere written certification of a historical fact which cannot be cancelled.

In some areas, however, apostasy is a much easier process: in Barcelona, Santander and San Sebastián would-be apostates are not even asked to produce ID.

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Subject: Spanish news