The presbyterate of the Prelature of Trondheim met in the Brigittine convent of Tiller 22-24 October 2023. This talk was given by way of introduction. Forgive me if I set off from a few personal remarks. ‘Three years have passed since I was consecrated bishop. When I arrived here, I had spent thirty years abroad. Read more
The Bishops’ Conference of the Nordic Countries recently wrote an open letter to the German Bishops’ Conference to voice concerns over the Synodal Path now underway in Germany. They ‘“let rip” at the Germans. The Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Iceland Church leaders’ letter is an excellent example of one group of bishops seeing the Read more
Norway’s Catholic Church has been fined 1m kroner (NZ$201,120) for puffing up its membership numbers. In addition, Oslo diocese’s chief administrative officer has been charged with aggravated fraud. The Government in Norway finances the churches. The amount they pay is in proportion to the number of church members. Accusers say the Oslo diocese searched telephone Read more
Norway’s Catholic Church is to seek the Vatican’s permission to have its clergy withdraw from officiating at marriages on the Norwegian state’s behalf. The move comes after the governing synod of Norway’s predominant Lutheran Church voted to allow gay marriages. Catholic Bishop Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo said “it’s clear we must distinguish our own church Read more
Norwegian police have raided the offices of the Diocese of Oslo after it was accused of defrauding the state of millions of dollars. The diocese has been accused of vastly exaggerating its membership to increase the support it receives from the state. This came to an additional 50 million Norwegian Krone, some NZD$8.58 million, over Read more
Over the course of the past century, “spree killings” committed by and directed toward civilians have become a regular part of our social world. It seems that we have developed a discrete category for them in our social imaginary. In the years since the Columbine massacre of 1999, the dramatically increased frequency of these killings Read more
In the wake of the horrific attacks in Norway by an extremist right-wing ‘Christian’ and a warrior against Islam, many American conservatives are on the defensive. Religious and political conservatives have for some years sought to connect Islam to violence, and the premature portrayal of the terror attacks as the work of Muslims has left Read more
Immediately after news of the bombing of government buildings in Norway’s capital Oslo, the Internet buzzed with speculation about who might have done it and why. Most speculation focused on so-called Islamist militancy and Muslims. The urge to speculate after grave events is understandable, but the focus of speculation, its amplification through social media, its Read more