Archdiocese of Uppsala

Archdiocese of Uppsala Archidioecesis Upsaliensis Uppsala ärkestift
Coordinates		59°51′29″N 17°38′00″E / 59.85806°N 17.63333°E / 59.85806; 17.63333
Statistics
Parishes	82[1]
Congregations	136[1]
Information
Denomination	Church of Sweden
Established	11th century[2]
Cathedral	Uppsala Cathedral
Current leadership
Bishop	Karin Johannesson[3]
Metropolitan Archbishop	Martin Modéus
Bishops emeritus	Anders Wejryd K. G. Hammar Gunnar Weman
Map
Website
svenskakyrkan.se/uppsalastift

The Archdiocese of Uppsala (Swedish: Uppsala ärkestift) is one of the thirteen dioceses of the Church of Sweden and the only one having the status of an archdiocese.

Lutheran archdiocese

Uppsala is the seat of the Lutheran Archbishop of Uppsala. The diocese, which has its centre in the city of Uppsala, covers Uppsala County, Gävleborg County and parts of Stockholm County and Västmanland County. The archdiocese originally also included those parts of Norrland, which were included in the new Diocese of Härnösand when it was founded in 1647 and the City of Stockholm, which was made a diocese of its own in 1942.

As of 2005 the archdiocese consists of 201 parishes (församlingar or [historically] socknar) distributed over 86

.

As the archbishop besides being head of Uppsala diocese also has a central role in the Church of Sweden on a national level. Since 2022, the position of archbishop is held by Martin Modéus. An additional position as assistant bishop in Uppsala diocese was created in 1990. In 2000 the diocese was divided into two pastoral regions, the smaller part of which is pastored by the archbishop and the greater by the bishop in Uppsala diocese, the position of assistant bishop thus being made a bishop in his own right. This office has been held by Tord Harlin (1990–2000) and Ragnar Persenius (2001-2019), before the incumbent Karin Johannesson.

Former Catholic archbishopric

When

called Upsala", and "Every ninth year, moreover, a great feast is celebrated at Upsala, which is observed in common by all the provinces of Sweden. None is permitted to avoid participation in the feast ... More horrible than any punishment is that even those who have become Christians must purchase exemption from participation in the feast ... The sacrifices are made thus: Nine heads are offered for every living creature of the male sex. By the blood of these the gods are appeased. The bodies are hung up in a grove not far from the temple. Dogs and horses may be seen hanging close by human beings; a Christian told me he had seen seventy-two bodies hanging together."

An episcopal see was established at Old Uppsala. One of the bishops was

.

In 1152

(which came to be ruled by the Swedish crown) were added.

The first

(d. 1373), laboured zealously for the enforcement of the same law.

A new era arose in the history of the archdiocese when Archbishop Folke (1274–77) transferred the see from Old Uppsala to Aros, a town nearby on the Fyris which was given the name of Uppsala. This change was approved by the pope, the king and the bishops. The relics of the national saint, Eric, were also transferred to the new see. The cathedral of Uppsala, the most important church of Sweden and the largest in Scandinavia, was built by the French architect Etienne de Bonnuille in 1287. It was a masterpiece of the Gothic style, and is a monument of what Catholic art and Catholic self-sacrifice were able to create under the leadership of zealous archbishops and prelates.

The labours of the archbishops extended in all directions. Some were zealous pastors of their flocks, such as Jarler and others; some were distinguished

(d. 1588), who wrote the "Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus" and who was the last Archbishop of Upsala.

The archbishops and secular clergy found active co-workers among the regular clergy. Among the orders represented in Sweden were the

) and Carthusians. The monks and friars laboured in things spiritual and were also the teachers of the people in agriculture and gardening. Still greater credit is due the members of the orders, both men and women, for their services in the intellectual training of the people of Sweden. A Swedish Protestant investigator, Carl Silfverstolpe, wrote: "The monks were almost the sole bond of union in the Middle Ages between the civilization of the north and that of southern Europe, and it can be claimed that the active relations between our monasteries and those in southern lands were the arteries through which the higher civilization reached our country."

See also

• Diocese of Sigtuna

Sources and references

(incomplete)

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ancient See of Upsala". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
• CatholicHierarchy- Sweden (only current diocese: Stockholm)
• GigaCatholic- Sweden

References

External links

• Official website
• Official website of the Archbishop of Uppsala