Canonical Right to Privacy in the Context of Clerics and Consecrated Persons
Canonical Right to Privacy in the Context of Clerics and Consecrated Persons

Summary/Abstract: The problem addressed in this article is the varied scope of privacy protection within canon law, specifically concerning how this right is applied differently depending on the canonical state of the faithful, such as laypersons, clerics, and consecrated persons. The aim of the research conducted is to determine the sources, the subjective and objective scope, and the acceptable limitations of the right to privacy, including those limitations resulting from voluntary self-limitation and the public mission of the Church. The method employed is a dogmatic-legal analysis based on the 1983 Code of Canon Law, documents of the Magisterium of the Church, canonical literature, and the General Decree of the Polish Episcopal Conference of 2018 regarding personal data protection. The findings demonstrate that the right to privacy is universally rooted in human dignity, but its practical application calls for a three-tier model of protection, providing the broadest protection for laypersons, narrower protection for clerics, and the narrowest protection for consecrated persons. The conclusions drawn from the research indicate that the varied application of the right to privacy does not constitute discrimination because it is justified by the specific nature and voluntary commitments of each canonical state, while the internal forum remains strictly inviolable for all the faithful.

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