Grace Thompson
Scandinavia has been predominantly non-Catholic since the 16th-century Reformation, with the region becoming largely Lutheran. However, in recent years, the number of Catholics in Scandinavian countries has been increasing, with growth in Norway attributed to immigration and conversions among the native population. In Sweden, Catholics were allowed to settle and practice their religion again from 1781, and in Norway, the ban on Catholicism was lifted in the 19th century. Scandinavian Catholics are a minority, but their numbers are growing, with some sources referring to a 'Catholic awakening' in the region.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholicism in Scandinavia since 1530 | Practically dead, with barely any Catholic presence |
| Scandinavian countries | Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland |
| Scandinavian countries' predominant religion | Lutheranism |
| Norway | Just over 3% Catholic population |
| Norway | Significant growth in the number of parishes, priests, baptisms, first communions |
| Sweden | First ethnically Swedish Catholic bishop appointed in 1998 |
| Sweden | First Swedish Cardinal appointed in 1998 |
| Norway | Norwegian Diocese of Oslo |
| Sweden | Diocese of Stockholm |
| Finland | Diocese of Helsinki |
| Denmark | Diocese of Copenhagen |
| Scandinavian countries | Among the least religious nations in the world |
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What You'll Learn
Catholicism in Norway
The Catholic Church in Norway, as part of the worldwide Catholic Church, is the second-largest religious community in the country in terms of registered members. As of May 2014, there were over 151,000 registered Catholics in Norway, constituting about 5% of the population. However, it is believed that many Catholics are not registered, and the actual number may be as high as 230,000, with 70% born abroad. This makes Norway the most Catholic country in Nordic Europe. The country is divided into three Church districts: the Diocese of Oslo and the prelatures of Trondheim and Tromsø, with 38 parishes and three chapel districts.
Despite the relatively small number of Catholics in Norway, the Church has a significant presence. Four religious orders have returned to the country: the Cistercians, Dominicans, Poor Clares, and Trappistines. Additionally, 17 other orders are working in Norway, including the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier, a unique order founded in the country in 1901. The Catholic Church operates schools in several cities, and there are various Catholic charities and relief organisations active in Norway, such as Fransiskushjelpen (St. Francis Aid) and Caritas Norway.
However, being a Catholic in Norway comes with certain challenges. The country's sparse population distribution, geographical features like mountains and fjords, and harsh climate can make attending church and practising religion difficult. Sunday is a family and social day, and with the secularisation of Norway, attending Mass may not always be a priority for Catholics, especially those with non-Catholic spouses. Furthermore, children's religious instruction classes often compete with other extracurricular activities, making it challenging for Catholic children to attend.
Historically, the Catholic Church in Norway faced significant challenges. The Lutheran Reformation, imposed by the Danish king from 1526 to 1537, resulted in the confiscation of Catholic Church property and the exile or imprisonment of Catholic priests. Catholicism was effectively banned, and Catholic practices were severely punished. It was not until 1843 that the Catholic Church was allowed to operate freely in Norway again, and the first parish after the Reformation was established in the capital, Oslo.
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Catholicism in Sweden
The Catholic Church in Sweden is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. It was established by Archbishop Ansgar in Birka in 829 and further developed by the Christianization of Sweden in the 9th century. Sweden was a Catholic country until the early 1500s when the Protestant Reformation took place. The Reformation in Sweden began in 1527 when King Gustav Vasa and his Riksdag of Västerås broke the full communion of the Swedish church with Rome, making it politically subservient to the kingdom.
At the Uppsala Synod in 1593, under the influence of Duke and future King Charles IX of Sweden, the Swedish church became a Lutheran state church, which was ratified by Charles' victory in his war against his Catholic predecessor in 1599. Governmental anti-Catholicism was imposed in Sweden, including deportations and death penalties for Catholics from 1599 to 1781. The last legislative ban on Catholic convents in Sweden was abolished in 1977.
In 1953, Sweden became a separate diocese (Catholic Diocese of Stockholm), covering the whole country. In 2013, there were an estimated 106,873 registered members in the Diocese of Stockholm, with unofficial estimates of about 150,000 Catholics in the country in total. Most of them have an immigrant background, while others are native Swedes. In 2018, the membership of the Catholic diocese of Stockholm increased to 122,000 registered members. According to an estimate given by local priests, Catholicism is the only growing religion in the country, with an average of 3,000 new members every year.
The Catholic Church in Sweden faces challenges such as the rise of radical Islam and the distrust of some Swedish nationalists, who view Catholicism as an imported religion. However, the quick evolution of the cultural and religious landscape of Sweden, generated by immigration, is playing in favor of the Catholic Church.
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Catholicism in Denmark
Denmark has been predominantly a secular country with Lutheranism as the state church. In recent times, the Lutheran church in Denmark has submitted to secularism, with some of its clergy not even believing in God. However, Danes hold an affinity for historical and cultural traditions, and church rituals like baptism, confirmation, marriage, and funerals are extremely popular.
Christianity began to spread in Denmark in the mid-10th century. Legend has it that in 960, a missionary named Poppa or Poppo converted King Harald Bluetooth after holding red-hot iron without being burned. A diocese was established in Odense around 965. Around 1022, Roskilde became the episcopal seat of Zealand and in 1060, Lund became the episcopal seat of Skåneland. The 12th century saw the establishment of several monastic orders in Denmark, including Benedictines, Cistercians, Premonstratensians, Augustinians, and Johannites.
In 1526, Christian congregations without ties to the Catholic Church began to form in Denmark, mainly in larger cities. In 1536, Christian III came to power and implemented the Reformation across the Kingdom. As a result, all properties of the Catholic Church were seized by the crown, and Catholic bishops were arrested. Catholicism was forbidden, and the presence of foreign Catholics in Denmark was criminalized in 1569. Anti-Catholic legislation was introduced on several occasions, and Danish subjects risked banishment if they converted to Catholicism.
Today, Catholicism is a minority religion in Denmark, with a significant portion of the Catholic population being shaped by immigration. The Diocese of Copenhagen reports that approximately one-third of Danish Catholics were born abroad. On any given Sunday, Mass is offered in Copenhagen in various languages, including Polish, English, Ukrainian, Croatian, Chaldean, French, Spanish, and Italian. While there is a Catholic presence in Denmark, it is small and not as well-attended as in other countries.
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Catholicism in Finland
Catholicism was the first form of Christianity introduced to Finland in the 12th century. For almost 400 years, until the 16th century, it flourished in the country. However, in the 16th century, Finland, as a part of Sweden, took part in the Lutheran Reformation, after which Catholicism lost its ground in the region. The religion was forbidden in Finland until the late 18th century.
Even though there are only about 25,000 Catholics in Finland, the Catholic Church in the country is a small but lively entity. The whole country forms a single diocese, the Catholic Diocese of Helsinki, which is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. There are more than 30 priests from different countries serving in Finland. The Church also receives a significant number of Finnish converts every year, and there are a few Finnish cradle Catholics. Masses are offered mostly in Finnish, but sometimes in other languages, including English. Ecumenical relations in Finland are close and friendly, and it is possible to visit other churches and denominations in the country.
There are Catholic parishes located in several Finnish cities, including Helsinki, Turku, Jyväskylä, Tampere, Kouvola, Kuopio, and Oulu. There is also a Catholic Church retreat and education centre named Stella Maris in Lohja. The Bridgettine order is active in Finland, with convents in Turku and Koisjärvi, near Lohja. A Carmelite convent, the Monastery of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was established in Espoo in 1988. The Dominican friars run a house in central Helsinki, home to a large library specializing in Christian studies and ecumenism, named Studium Catholicum.
Since the Catholic Church in Finland does not take part in the Church taxation system, all Catholics are asked to pay a membership fee of 1.5% of their income. In most cases, marriages in the Catholic Church in Finland are mixed marriages, meaning that one of the spouses is Catholic, and the other is baptised but belongs to another Christian denomination. Such marriages cannot be licitly celebrated without the consent of the Catholic Bishop of Helsinki.
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Historical context of Catholicism in Scandinavia
Scandinavia has been predominantly non-Catholic since the 16th-century Reformation. Before this, the Catholic Church was the only Christian church in the region, but it did not have a strong presence. One reason for this could be that Scandinavia adopted Catholicism later than most other European regions, only becoming Catholic in around 1000-1100.
The Reformation saw Scandinavian countries adopt Lutheranism, and in some cases, Catholicism was banned and outlawed until the 19th century. Norway, for example, prohibited Catholic priests from staying in the country and implemented the death penalty for Catholics. Sweden retained some Catholic structure and appearance in its state church, but this was more for material control of the church than religious reasons.
The position of Nordic Catholics was difficult for many centuries after the Reformation due to legislation outlawing Catholicism. However, in recent years, there has been some growth in the Catholic population, particularly in Norway, due to immigration and conversions among the native population.
Today, Scandinavia remains the least Catholic region in Europe. However, this is not due to a lack of church buildings or parishes, as there are Catholic churches in Scandinavian countries, such as in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Oslo, Norway. Rather, the lack of Catholicism in Scandinavia is due to the secular nature of the population, with many people identifying as atheist, agnostic, or spiritual but not religious.
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Frequently asked questions
While there are no exact figures, the Catholic population in the Nordic countries has been growing in recent years, particularly in Norway, due to immigration and conversions among the native population.
The growth of the Catholic population in Scandinavia is attributed to immigration and, to a lesser extent, conversions among the native population. The Catholic Church's intellectual tradition may also attract people seeking objective truths in a world of subjective truths.
The Catholic Church was the only Christian church in the Nordic region before the Reformation in the 16th century. Since then, Scandinavia has been predominantly Lutheran, and Catholics faced legislative outlawing and persecution. However, restrictions on Catholicism were gradually lifted in the 19th century, and the Catholic population has been increasing in recent times.
