Church of Sweden elects new archbishop

[loschwitz]

https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/linkopings-stift/biskop-martin-modeus

[Michael Slusser]

https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/linkopings-stift/biskop-martin-modeus

From what I can glean from the link: Bishop Martin Modéus made bishop of Linköping in 2011. Now chosen Archbishop of Sweden with 59% of the votes.

So does he stay in Linköping or go to a traditional archepiscopal see city?

Peace,
Michael

*They have an English news release:
News summary in English

The 8th of June 2022, Bishop Martin Modéus was elected as the new Archbishop for the Church of Sweden. Martin Modéus, bishop for Linköping diocese, received 59 percent of the votes.

- I am grateful and happy for the support and look forward to, with God's help, serve our Church with this new appointment together with all good colleagues and employees. Now comes a time for preparation, reflection and prayer for the ordination, says bishop-elect Martin Modéus.

Martin Modéus will be received as the new Archbishop in a service in the Uppsala cathedral the 4th of December 2022. Martin is successor for Archbishop Antje Jackelén who retires the 30th of October 2022.
https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/linkopings-stift/nyheter/martin-modeus-vald-till-ny-arkebiskop

[loschwitz]

Apologies.  I thought I was adding the English version.

In response to your question the new archbishop will move to Uppsala.

[Michael Slusser]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

The RC Archbishop of Stockholm is Cardinal Anders Arborelius.

Peace,
Michael

[James_Gale]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

The RC Archbishop of Stockholm is Cardinal Anders Arborelius.

Peace,
Michael

Over half the population still belongs formally to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the established state church until about 20 years ago. A very small number of Lutherans have broken away. The biggest challenge facing the old state church comes not from other Lutheran bodies but from those falling into agnosticism and secularism. Many maintain formal membership in honor of tradition and to gain access to church weddings, funerals, and burial.

[Michael Slusser]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

Over half the population still belongs formally to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the established state church until about 20 years ago. A very small number of Lutherans have broken away. The biggest challenge facing the old state church comes not from other Lutheran bodies but from those falling into agnosticism and secularism. Many maintain formal membership in honor of tradition and to gain access to church weddings, funerals, and burial.

Is there a split like the one in Finland, where the Lutheran churches don't seem to recognize each other much if at all? We had a thread here not so long ago about religious freedom in Finland where the difference was a factor.

Peace,
Michael

[James_Gale]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

Over half the population still belongs formally to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the established state church until about 20 years ago. A very small number of Lutherans have broken away. The biggest challenge facing the old state church comes not from other Lutheran bodies but from those falling into agnosticism and secularism. Many maintain formal membership in honor of tradition and to gain access to church weddings, funerals, and burial.

Is there a split like the one in Finland, where the Lutheran churches don't seem to recognize each other much if at all? We had a thread here not so long ago about religious freedom in Finland where the difference was a factor.

Peace,
Michael

It’s not the same dynamic in Sweden. The former state church has no major divisions and there are very very few Lutherans outside the old state church.

[John_Hannah]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

The RC Archbishop of Stockholm is Cardinal Anders Arborelius.

Peace,
Michael

Uppsala is home of the primate rather than Stockholm.

Peace, JOHN

[Dave Benke]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

Over half the population still belongs formally to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the established state church until about 20 years ago. A very small number of Lutherans have broken away. The biggest challenge facing the old state church comes not from other Lutheran bodies but from those falling into agnosticism and secularism. Many maintain formal membership in honor of tradition and to gain access to church weddings, funerals, and burial.

Is there a split like the one in Finland, where the Lutheran churches don't seem to recognize each other much if at all? We had a thread here not so long ago about religious freedom in Finland where the difference was a factor.

Peace,
Michael

It’s not the same dynamic in Sweden. The former state church has no major divisions and there are very very few Lutherans outside the old state church.

How many Lutherans outside the old state church are there in Finland, Norway and, if it applies, Denmark?  I am remembering the accession of non-state Lutheran groups in those countries at LCMS conventions, but with very small numbers.  The SELK in Germany is roughly the size of a smaller district or ELCA synod, but is - again in memory - far larger than the Scandinavian outliers from the former state churches.

Dave Benke

Dave Benke

[James_Gale]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

Over half the population still belongs formally to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the established state church until about 20 years ago. A very small number of Lutherans have broken away. The biggest challenge facing the old state church comes not from other Lutheran bodies but from those falling into agnosticism and secularism. Many maintain formal membership in honor of tradition and to gain access to church weddings, funerals, and burial.

Is there a split like the one in Finland, where the Lutheran churches don't seem to recognize each other much if at all? We had a thread here not so long ago about religious freedom in Finland where the difference was a factor.

Peace,
Michael

It’s not the same dynamic in Sweden. The former state church has no major divisions and there are very very few Lutherans outside the old state church.

How many Lutherans outside the old state church are there in Finland, Norway and, if it applies, Denmark?  I am remembering the accession of non-state Lutheran groups in those countries at LCMS conventions, but with very small numbers.  The SELK in Germany is roughly the size of a smaller district or ELCA synod, but is - again in memory - far larger than the Scandinavian outliers from the former state churches.

Dave Benke

Dave Benke

There are very few Nordic Lutherans outside the old established churches.  In each of Norway, Denmark, and Finland, between 55% and 70+% of the population belong to the old established church.  Only a smattering of self-identified Lutherans exist outside these bodies.


The real story, though, is that only about a quarter to a third of the populations of those countries say that they believe in God.  Membership in the old established church remains high because the church still plays a valued role in marriages, funerals, and burials.  (A Swedish pastor I know told me that you can't be buried in a church-owned cemetery unless you are a church member.)


The mission of these ancient church bodies can't help but be influenced by the fact that very few church members believe the church's historic teachings, let alone practice according to those teachings. 

[Brian Stoffregen]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

Over half the population still belongs formally to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the established state church until about 20 years ago. A very small number of Lutherans have broken away. The biggest challenge facing the old state church comes not from other Lutheran bodies but from those falling into agnosticism and secularism. Many maintain formal membership in honor of tradition and to gain access to church weddings, funerals, and burial.

Is there a split like the one in Finland, where the Lutheran churches don't seem to recognize each other much if at all? We had a thread here not so long ago about religious freedom in Finland where the difference was a factor.

Peace,
Michael

It’s not the same dynamic in Sweden. The former state church has no major divisions and there are very very few Lutherans outside the old state church.

I thought that the (Swedish) Covenant Church had split from the state church.

[Michael Slusser]

It’s not the same dynamic in Sweden. The former state church has no major divisions and there are very very few Lutherans outside the old state church.

I thought that the (Swedish) Covenant Church had split from the state church.

My understanding is that in Sweden both Baptist and Covenant churches exist, but neither considers itself Lutheran.

Peace,
Michael

[Michael Slusser]

The RC Archbishop of Stockholm is Cardinal Anders Arborelius.

Uppsala is home of the primate rather than Stockholm.

Peace, JOHN

Probably the RCC did in Sweden, after it became legal once again to be Catholic there, what they had done in Great Britain when, after 1829, the government allowed them to organize: no RC bishops were given the designation of historic sees that were being held by Church of England bishops; instead, completely new sees were founded (e.g. Southwark, Westminster, Portsmouth, Birmingham etc.) to avoid confusion and putting up one bishop's cathedra/teaching chair against another's.

I believe this was done also in hope of eventual reunion, to avoid the duplications with which the Council of Nicaea wrestled.

Peace,
Michael

[Dave Benke]

How united are Lutherans in Sweden? Will Archbishop Modéus serve them all, or are there Lutherans who do not recognize him?

Over half the population still belongs formally to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden, which was the established state church until about 20 years ago. A very small number of Lutherans have broken away. The biggest challenge facing the old state church comes not from other Lutheran bodies but from those falling into agnosticism and secularism. Many maintain formal membership in honor of tradition and to gain access to church weddings, funerals, and burial.

Is there a split like the one in Finland, where the Lutheran churches don't seem to recognize each other much if at all? We had a thread here not so long ago about religious freedom in Finland where the difference was a factor.

Peace,
Michael

It’s not the same dynamic in Sweden. The former state church has no major divisions and there are very very few Lutherans outside the old state church.

How many Lutherans outside the old state church are there in Finland, Norway and, if it applies, Denmark?  I am remembering the accession of non-state Lutheran groups in those countries at LCMS conventions, but with very small numbers.  The SELK in Germany is roughly the size of a smaller district or ELCA synod, but is - again in memory - far larger than the Scandinavian outliers from the former state churches.

Dave Benke

Dave Benke

There are very few Nordic Lutherans outside the old established churches.  In each of Norway, Denmark, and Finland, between 55% and 70+% of the population belong to the old established church.  Only a smattering of self-identified Lutherans exist outside these bodies.


The real story, though, is that only about a quarter to a third of the populations of those countries say that they believe in God.  Membership in the old established church remains high because the church still plays a valued role in marriages, funerals, and burials.  (A Swedish pastor I know told me that you can't be buried in a church-owned cemetery unless you are a church member.)


The mission of these ancient church bodies can't help but be influenced by the fact that very few church members believe the church's historic teachings, let alone practice according to those teachings.

Thanks.  I wonder whether in most ways the other predominant Western European Christian group, Roman Catholicism, is in the same boat. 

How then does the reality of those listed as believing not being believers effect governmental policies and laws?  It seems on the surface that the protection of the vulnerable in the population and health care are both guaranteed, as well as day care for children, etc.  And there is some form of democratic rule.  Is that a manifestation of the remnants of Christian belief?  Or something else?

Dave Benke

[Michael Slusser]

Thanks.  I wonder whether in most ways the other predominant Western European Christian group, Roman Catholicism, is in the same boat. 

How then does the reality of those listed as believing not being believers effect governmental policies and laws?  It seems on the surface that the protection of the vulnerable in the population and health care are both guaranteed, as well as day care for children, etc.  And there is some form of democratic rule.  Is that a manifestation of the remnants of Christian belief?  Or something else?

Dave Benke

I've heard the claim that Swedes, having discovered that they can enjoy the humane values given them and promoted through Christian faith, have come to think that they can live those values without needing to involve themselves in the hurly-burly of Christian sectarianism.

Peace,
Michael