Privacy

The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland

(hereafter “the Archdiocese”)

This Privacy Notice is provided by the Trustees of the Archdiocese to explain what to expect when we collect and process your personal information in accordance with the UK GDPR. 

Data Controller

The data controller is: Fr Paulinus Heggs (Vicar General)

Email: [email protected]

For more information, please go to: www.antiochian-orthodox.com

Date of publication: 31st August 2024.

1. Why we collect and use your personal data?

We use personal data for the following purposes:

  • Where required by law.
  • Name and contact details – To inform you of news and information about events, activities, and services within the Archdiocese and matters of general interest to Orthodox Christians.
  • To include your details, where appropriate, in the Registry of Baptisms, Marriages, and other registers necessary for the canonical performance of the sacraments of the Orthodox Church.
  • In order to manage and deliver services and activities (such as conferences) to which you have subscribed.

2. The categories of personal data we collect are:

  • Name and contact details
  • Video images such as photographs, video recording and live streaming
  • Record of sacraments received, and other information directly pertaining to each individual sacrament (such as names of parents, godparents, witnesses, etc).
  • Records of transactions (such as payments for goods and services purchased from or through the Archdiocese).
  • We also may record your religion, which is designated a ‘special’ category of information.

3. The lawful basis for processing your personal data

  • Consent – we will obtain your consent to send you information about church events or newsletters.
  • Legal obligation – we are required by law to collect and process data for weddings, funerals, etc.
  • Canonical obligation – we are required by the holy canons of the Orthodox Church, and by the Constitutions of the Patriarchate of Antioch, to collect and process data for weddings, funerals, baptisms, etc.

Legitimate Activity – we collect and process this data as part of our legitimate activities as a constituent Church of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and all the East and as a legally-constituted not-for-profit body registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales.

4.  Where we collected your data from:

  • You
  • Other Orthodox Archdioceses
  • Funeral directors

5. Sharing personal data.


Your personal data will be treated as strictly confidential and will only be shared, when strictly necessary, with the Trustees and Officers of the Archdiocese, with clergy and parish officers of parishes of the Archdiocese, with other Orthodox Archdioceses, and in response to requests from lawful authorities.

6. How long do we keep data?

We retain personal information for only as long as is necessary, and we review retained data at least every three years to ensure that obsolete or unnecessary data is deleted.  The specific exceptions to this general rule are:

  • We keep sacramental registers in perpetuity, since they are considered to be of both canonical and general historical importance.
  • We keep records relating to safeguarding for a minimum of 50 years.

Personal data which is no longer relevant is securely destroyed (in the case of physical data) or deleted (for electronic data).

7. Your rights and your personal data 

Unless subject to an exemption under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your personal data: –

  • The right to request a copy of the personal data which the Archdiocese holds about you (a Subject Access Request or ‘SAR’); 
  • The right to request that the Archdiocese corrects any personal data if it is found to be inaccurate or out of date;  
  • The right to request your personal data is erased where it is no longer necessary for the Archdiocese to retain such data;
  • The right to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time where we have obtained your consent;
  • The right to request that the data controller provide you with your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. Also, to transmit that data directly to another data controller (in limited circumstances).
  • The right, where there is a dispute in relation to the accuracy or processing of your personal data, to request a restriction is placed on further processing;
  • The right to object to the processing of personal data (in limited circumstances);
  • The right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office.

8. Concerns and/or complaints?

To exercise all relevant rights, or for queries or complaints please in the first instance contact the Data Controller.

You can contact the Information Commissioners Office on 0303 123 1113 or via email Contact us – public | ICO