The Russian Orthodox Church calls on the authorities of the CIS and Baltic countries to “protect the human person from total control”

On October 6, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church sent an appeal to the authorities of the CIS and Baltic countries, the reason for which, as stated in the official message of the DECR MP, "was the fear that arose among some believers related to the electronic identification of citizens, the creation and consolidation of electronic databases of personal data, as well as the beginning or the planned issuance of new identity cards in some countries that contain electronic information about the natural properties of the human body - biometric data.

According to the members of the Synod, "there is nothing sinful in the very fact of registering citizens by the state" and "nothing sinful ... in the use of the latest technical achievements for registering citizens, to ensure the security of a person and society, including electronic means, which only develop already familiar methods ".

“However,” the DECR statement further notes, “along with a number of technical advantages, the creation and consolidation of arrays of personal information, as well as the development of electronic means of identifying a person, is fraught with many dangers. A person is becoming increasingly dependent on inevitable technical failures, errors, and negligence of personnel or interference by malefactors.It is not excluded the possibility of a centralized collection of information about the private life of citizens and their beliefs.This creates a threat to the rights and freedom of the individual, makes it possible to total control over a person's life, including his worldview.This development of events increases the risk of a biased attitude towards person on the basis of his religious, political or other views.

This danger becomes very real at the moment when the ideas of moral and ideological relativism are fixed in national and international law.

For Orthodox Christians, believers of our Church, which in the 20th century endured persecution for confessing the name of Christ, unprecedented in scale and cruelty, the opportunity to live according to the norms of faith is extremely precious. In this regard, the Hierarchy of the Russian Orthodox Church is conducting an unsuccessful dialogue with those in power on this range of issues, informing the church people about the progress and results of such a dialogue.

In many matters, the authorities have already met the wishes of the believers. It is very important that in the future all measures taken in this delicate area be carried out publicly, under strict public control.

Therefore, the Holy Synod, addressing the authorities of countries in which a significant number of Orthodox believers-parishioners of the Russian Orthodox Church live, "expressed a number of wishes, the satisfaction of which could remove the existing concerns and not put to the test the loyalty traditional for Orthodox Christians towards civil institutions.

In particular, the danger of collecting and storing data about the private life of people, especially about their religious and political choices, health, social circle, travel, and the like, was noted.

It seems unjustified to remotely identify a person without his knowledge, especially in places where he is not required to introduce himself.

Each person should know what kind of information about him is contained in the "electronic dossier", and be able to exclude from it information that has lost its relevance. The list of collected and stored data, in the opinion of the Church, should be clearly defined and made publicly known.

It seems important that the development of electronic systems for identification and registration of citizens be carried out publicly, under public control, with a clear explanation of its motivation, as well as disclosure of the meaning of the symbols used.

It seems necessary to clearly and exhaustively define the list of authorities with access to databases, as well as to take measures to protect personal information, strengthening the responsibility for its illegal use.

Means of identifying a person should not harm his health, humiliate his honor and dignity. Such varieties of such means that would be inseparable from the human body are seen as unacceptable.

It is impossible in accounting systems to assign people a number that will be used instead of a name. Like a passport number, account numbers may not refer to an individual, but to a document or database entry.

Finally - and this is the main thing - it is unacceptable that people who, for various reasons, refuse to participate in the new identification system, be pushed to the sidelines of life, significantly impaired in their rights, discriminated against in employment, distribution of social assistance, and so on. For such citizens, an alternative should be provided that allows them to live fully in society, without interfering with the exercise of their rights and freedoms, the use of legal benefits, regardless of any form of personal identification.

Orthodox Christians are urged to remember that the acceptance or non-acceptance of new documents, including those containing electronic information about the natural properties of the human body, should not be a reason for condemning some Christians by others, for sowing confusion and schism in the Church.

Sources

• The Church calls to protect the human person from total control: Message from the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church // Official website of the Russian Orthodox Church. 2005. October 15.