[LINK] "In Spain, the Catholic church loses battle to prevent a member from leaving the fold"

[rfmcdonald]

Via chrishansenhome, Victoria Burnett's International Herald Times article "In Spain, the Catholic church loses battle to prevent a member from leaving the fold" tells the story, the most significant portions of which are excerpted below.

The National Court ruled that the archdiocese of Valencia, in eastern Spain, should note in its baptismal records that Manel Blat González, a 41-year old union worker, had left the church. The decision is a symbolic blow to the church, which faces a dwindling flock and disenchantment among a once-devout people who see it as increasingly out of step with modern life.

Blat, who was baptised 40 years ago, sent several applications to the church to have his name expunged from baptismal records after he became disillusioned by what he saw as the church's narrow attitudes. Blat, who is gay, said he was particularly angered by the church's stance on same-sex marriage, which is legal in Spain.

"I felt I was part of an organization that neither wanted nor respected people like me," Blat said in a telephone interview. "The church doesn't represent my values."

The archdiocese refused Blat's request, arguing that baptismal records were historic documents that could not be altered. Blat turned to Spain's Data Protection Agency, which sued the archdiocese on the basis that all data collected about private individuals should be kept up to date and conserved for as long as strictly relevant. The archdiocese appealed a ruling in the data protection agency's favor in May last year, but the appeal was dismissed Oct. 10. A spokesman for the Valencia archdiocese said it was studying the ruling and may appeal before Spain's Supreme Court.