The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has suspended the status of Sweden’s special envoy over a string of Quran burnings in Stockholm that sparked anger and mass protests in a number of Muslim countries. The organisation, comprised of 57 Muslim-majority nations, said on Sunday that the suspension was due to the “ granting by the Swedish Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Sweden’
Organization of Islamic Cooperation suspends Sweden’s special envoy over desecration of Quran
Monday, July 31st, 2023Change threatens some bishops
Thursday, March 24th, 2022
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
Today female priests now outnumber male ones in Church of Sweden
Monday, July 27th, 2020The Church of Sweden has more female priests than male priests for the first time, according to numbers released this month, a sign of huge strides for gender equality since women were first allowed to be ordained in 1960. The Lutheran institution, which was the official Swedish state church until 2000, now counts 1,533 women Read more
Cardinal condemns Sweden’s relaxed pandemic approach
Monday, May 11th, 2020
Sweden’s pandemic approach and the risk it poses to the vulnerable is worrying, says Cardinal Anders Arborelius of Stockholm. Unlike most countries, Sweden has chosen a more relaxed approach to preventing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In an open letter to Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Arborelius and other Christian leaders have asked Read more
Greta Thunberg, Jesus’s successor
Thursday, October 3rd, 2019
Seemingly Greta Thunberg can do no wrong in Sweden. A comment about Jesus appointing Greta Thunberg as one of his successors has resurfaced. After initially defending the tweet, last December the Church of Sweden Malamö deleted the tweet and abandoned the account. However the church’s Twitter account has resurfaced, retweeting people who supported and praised Read more
Anti-semitism increasing in Sweden
Monday, December 18th, 2017
Anti-semitism is on the rise in Sweden. Church and state leaders have spoken out against the violence. There have been many attacks against the Swedish Jewish community over the past few years, with two during the past week. It is thought the most recent events are connected with United States President Donald Trump’s recognition of Read more
New Swedish cardinal wants women advisors
Thursday, June 29th, 2017
The new Swedish cardinal, Anders Arborelius, has suggested Pope Francis consider creating a special advisory body of women. Their role would be similar to that of the College of Cardinals and would offer more opportunity for women’s leadership in the church. Francis made Arborelius Sweden’s first cardinal in a consistory on Wednesday. He said he Read more
Swedish PM tries forcing priests to celebrate gay marriage
Monday, June 26th, 2017
The Swedish Prime Minister says he and his party think all Swedish Church priests should celebrate same-sex marriages. They should have to celebrate these marriages regardless of their personal views, he says. Stefan Lofven says as they are members of Sweden’s State church which agreed in a recent Synod that it would support same sex Read more
Pope Francis on ecumenism, secularism, terrorism and gossip
Tuesday, November 1st, 2016
(RNS) Pope Francis leaves on Monday (Oct. 31) for an overnight trip to Sweden, a historically Protestant country that today is one of the most secular in the world. The visit is to mark the start of observances of next year’s 500th anniversary of the Reformation, which traditionally dates from Oct. 31, 1517, when Martin Read more
Lutheran-Catholic unity high on Pope’s agenda in Sweden
Tuesday, November 1st, 2016
Lutheran-Catholic unity is high on the Pope’s agenda during his official trip to Sweden this week. “My hope and expectation is that of coming closer to my brothers and sisters,” he said. Being close “does all of us good. Distance, on the other hand, makes us bitter.” Francis says distance makes us “close within ourselves Read more