Catholic Church in the Nordic countries
The Catholic Church in the Nordic countries was the only Christian church in that region before the
Catholic (Lutheran) region and the position of Nordic Catholics for many centuries after the Reformation was very difficult due to legislation outlawing Catholicism. However, the Catholic population of the Nordic countries has seen some growth in the region in recent years, particularly in Norway
, in large part due to immigration and to a lesser extent conversions among the native population.
History
In Sweden, a patent letter of tolerance rescinded some of the anti-Catholic laws and Catholics were once again allowed to settle and practice their religion in 1781 under
Gustavus III.[1] The Vicariate Apostolic of Sweden was founded in 1783. It was elevated to a diocese in 1953.[2]
The
Society of Jesus would not be allowed to enter Norway until 1956.[4]
Notable Nordic Post-Reformation Catholics
- Anders Arborelius is the first ethnically Swedish Catholic bishop (1998) since the Reformation and the first Swedish cardinal ever,[5] convert
- Count Nils Bielke (1706–1765), converted in Rome in 1731, and became a Roman senator and papal chamberlain,[6] convert
- Queen Christina of Sweden, convert
- Saint Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870–1957), convert[7]
- Czeslaw Kozon, Bishop of Copenhagen
- Halldór Laxness, Icelandic novelist; winner of 1955 Nobel Prize for Literature
- Janne Haaland Matláry, Norwegian international relations scholar, convert
- Helena Nyblom (1843–1926), Danish-born Swedish writer, convert[8]
- Count Roman Count, convert
- Baron Wilhelm Wedel-Jarlsberg (1852–1909), Norwegian nobleman and papal chamberlain, convert
- Ven. Charles Schilling (1835–1907), Norwegian barnabite priest and candidate for canonization
- Brita Collett Paus, the founder of Fransiskushjelpen, convert
- Sven Stolpe
- Queen Josephine (1807–1876), queen consort of Sweden and Norway
- Ulf Ekman, former Word of life pastor and founder, convert
- Jón Sveinsson, a Jesuit author from Iceland; wrote in Icelandic, but lived in France, convert
- Olaf Thommessen, Oslo politician and businessman
- Stian Berger Røsland, Oslo politician and former governing mayor of Oslo
- Blessed Niels Steensen (1638–1686), Danish scientist and bishop
- Birgitta Trotzig
- Sigrid Undset (1882–1949), Norwegian writer, convert
- Gunnel Vallquist (1918–2016), Swedish writer, critic and translator, former member of the Swedish Academy, convert[9]
- Johannes Jorgensen(1866–1956), Danish writer, biographer of Francis of Assisi
See also
- Anti-Catholicism in Norway
- Catholic Church in Sweden
- Christianization of Scandinavia
- Conventicle Act (Denmark-Norway)
- Conventicle Act (Sweden)
- Dissenter Acts (Sweden)
- List of Catholic dioceses in Nordic Europe
- Lists of Roman Catholics
- Northern Crusades
- Reformation in Denmark-Norway and Holstein
- Reformation in Sweden
- Roman Catholicism in Denmark
- Roman Catholicism in the Faroe Islands
- Roman Catholicism in Finland
- Roman Catholicism in Iceland
- Roman Catholicism in Norway
- Scandinavian colonialism
References
- ^ "Religionsfreihet" (in Swedish). Projekt Runeberg. 1915.
- ^ "Diocese of Stockholm". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- Store norske leksikon(in Norwegian Bokmål), 2020-08-25, retrieved 2022-05-11
- ^ Kvellestad, Iris (2012-05-15). Motreformasjonens avantgarde. En kartlegging av norske holdninger til jesuittordenen på 1900-tallet (Master's thesis thesis) (in Norwegian). University of Bergen.
- ^ "Bishop Anders Arborelius". Catholic-Hierarchy.com.
- ^ "Bielke" (in Swedish). Projekt Runeberg. 1905.
- ^ "Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad (1870 - 1957)". Vatican.va.
- Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon(in Swedish). Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ^ "Vallquist, Gunnel" (in Swedish). Swedish Academy.