Catholicism in Nordic countries

The history of Catholicism in Nordic countries, being a mostly non-Catholic (Lutheran) region, has been influenced by significant movements. The position of Nordic Catholics at times has been very difficult due to legislation outlawing Catholicism, but the Catholic populations of the Nordic countries has seen some growth in the region in recent years, particularly in Sweden. However, at present none of the Nordic nations have a Catholic population above 2%.^[1]

History

In Sweden, the patent of tolerance rescinded anti-Catholic laws and Catholics were once again allowed to settle and practice their religion in 1781 under Gustavus III^[2] and the Vicariate Apostolic of Sweden was erected in 1783. It was elevated to a diocese in 1953.^[3]

The Norwegian Constitution of 1814 denied Jews and Catholics (particularly Jesuits) entrance in Norway. It also stated that attendance in a Lutheran church was compulsory. The ban on Jews was lifted in 1851, but members of the Society of Jesus would not be allowed to enter Norway until 1956.

Notable Nordic Catholics

• Anders Arborelius is the first ethnically Swedish Catholic bishop (1998) since the Reformation,^[4] convert
• Count Nils Bielke (1706-1765), converted in Rome in 1731, and became a Roman senator and papal chamberlain,^[5] convert
• Queen Christina of Sweden, convert
• Blessed Elizabeth Hesselblad, convert^[6]
• 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
• Count Christopher de Paus (1862-1943), a Norwegian land owner who converted and became a papal chamberlain and Roman Count, convert
• Brita Collett Paus, the founder of Fransiskushjelpen, convert
• Sven Stolpe
• Jón Sveinsson - A Jesuit author from Iceland; wrote in Icelandic, but lived in France, convert
• Olaf Thommessen - Oslo politician and businessman (of Norwegian and French descent); not a convert
• Birgitta Trotzig
• Sigrid Undset - Norwegian writer, convert
• Gunnel Vallquist (1918-2016), Swedish writer, critic and translator, former member of the Swedish Academy, convert^[7]

See also

• Baltic region
• Catholic Church in Sweden
• Christianization of Scandinavia
• Lists of Roman Catholics
• Nordic countries
• 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
• Scandinavia / Northern Europe / Baltic region
• Scandinavian colonialism
• Scandinavian Peninsula
• Subdivisions of the Nordic countries

References

1. "Statistics by country - By Catholic population (2005)". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
2. "Religionsfreihet" (in Swedish). Projekt Runeberg.
3. "Diocese of Stockholm". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
4. "Bishop Anders Arborelius". Catholic-Hierarchy.com.
5. "Bielke" (in Swedish). Projekt Runeberg.
6. "Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad (1870 - 1957)". Vatican.va.
7. "Vallquist, Gunnel" (in Swedish). Swedish Academy.