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Terms of Service

1. Purpose

These terms of service (the "Terms") govern access to and use of the Katolika platform. They apply to anyone accessing the Platform, whether or not they hold an account.

Commercial terms applying to a subscribing parish (pricing, duration, service levels) are set out in a separate agreement. Where the two conflict, that agreement prevails.

2. Definitions

Platform — the service available at katolika.net and its subdomains. Publisher — Prestiggio, which publishes the Platform. User Entity — the parish, deanery or diocese holding its own space on the Platform. Administrator — the individual designated by a User Entity to administer its space. User — anyone accessing the Platform, with or without an account. Content — any data published or uploaded to the Platform: texts, images, recordings, documents, registers.

3. Acceptance

Using the Platform constitutes acceptance of the Terms as then in force. A User who does not accept the Terms must stop using the Platform.

4. The service

The Platform provides User Entities with management and communication tools, including:

  • publishing news, announcements and an events calendar;
  • maintaining sacramental registers in digital form;
  • producing pastoral and liturgical activity reports;
  • managing documentary, musical and photographic collections;
  • a directory of community groups, ministries and officers.

Each User Entity decides freely, within the limits of applicable law and canon law, what content it publishes and who may access it.

The Publisher may change the features offered. Substantial changes are announced to Administrators with reasonable notice.

5. Accounts

5.1 Registration

Some features require an account. Registration uses either an email address and password, or delegated authentication through Google, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Users undertake to provide accurate information and keep it up to date.

5.2 Security

Users are responsible for keeping their credentials confidential and for all activity carried out from their account. Any suspected compromise must be reported without delay to admin@katolika.net.

5.3 Minors

Accounts are open to persons aged 16 or over. Below that age, prior consent from the holder of parental authority is required and is collected by the User Entity.

This restriction does not prevent a User Entity from entering a minor in a sacramental register, which is a separate form of processing described in the Privacy Policy.

6. Allocation of responsibility

This section is central to understanding the service.

The User Entity determines the purposes and means of processing the data it places in its space — registers, directories, published content. It is the controller of that data within the meaning of la loi n° 2014-038. It must satisfy itself that it is entitled to process that data and must respond to requests from data subjects.

The Publisher acts as a processor on the User Entity's behalf in respect of that data. It accesses the data only as necessary to operate, maintain and secure the service, or on the User Entity's instructions. It is, however, the controller of the account and connection data it collects on its own behalf.

7. User obligations

Users must not:

  • publish content that is unlawful, defamatory, insulting, hateful, violent or degrading;
  • infringe third-party intellectual property rights;
  • disclose third-party personal data without authority, particularly data drawn from the registers;
  • extract or reuse Platform data for canvassing, or commercial, political or religious solicitation, or to build mailing lists;
  • access or attempt to access any space or data they are not authorised to see;
  • disrupt the Platform's operation, including through mass automated extraction, code injection or flooding;
  • impersonate anyone, or falsely claim ecclesiastical office.

Sacramental registers contain information about the private and family life of living persons. Anyone accessing them in the course of their duties is bound by a duty of discretion and may use them only for the pastoral and administrative purposes that justify the access.

8. Uploaded content

Users retain their rights in the content they upload. They grant the Publisher, for only as long as necessary to provide the service, the right to host, reproduce, technically adapt and display that content within the visibility settings they have chosen.

The Publisher may remove without notice any manifestly unlawful content brought to its attention, and informs the User Entity concerned.

9. Availability

The Publisher takes reasonable steps to keep the Platform available, without guaranteeing uninterrupted operation. Interruptions may occur for maintenance, for security reasons, or through third parties (host, network operators, authentication providers).

Planned interruptions are announced where possible.

10. Liability

The Publisher is not answerable for content published by User Entities or for the use they make of the Platform.

The Publisher's liability is limited to direct and foreseeable loss. It may not exceed the sums actually paid by the User Entity over the twelve months preceding the triggering event. This limitation does not apply in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct.

Each User Entity should keep its own backup copies of data it considers critical, in addition to the backups maintained by the Publisher.

11. Suspension and termination

The Publisher may suspend an account or a space for serious breach of these Terms, after formal notice has gone unheeded, except in cases of urgency relating to security or legality.

A User Entity may request closure of its space at any time. Its data is returned in a usable format on request made within thirty days, then deleted as set out in the Privacy Policy.

Users may delete their account at any time from their profile.

12. Free software

The Platform's underlying software is distributed under the AGPL-3.0 licence. The rights granted by that licence cover the source code, not the hosted data, nor the Publisher's trade marks and visual identity.

13. Changes to the Terms

The Publisher may amend the Terms. Substantial amendments are notified to Administrators at least thirty days before they take effect. Continued use constitutes acceptance.

Each version is dated and numbered. Earlier versions remain available.

14. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by le droit malagasy.

In the event of a dispute, the parties will seek an amicable settlement. Failing agreement within sixty days, the dispute falls to des tribunaux d'Antananarivo, subject to any mandatory protective provisions that apply.

Version 1.0 — in force since 2026-09-01. This is a translation; the French version prevails.