The Old Rite in Scandinavia

Nordic Catholicism is growing says Alberto Carosa

Perhaps just a few people may have noticed that Scandinavian Catholicism has recently come increasingly under the spotlight, especially since the visit of Pope Francis to Lund in Sweden in late 2016 on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran reformation.

Since then, a major development was the appointment of the bishop of Stockholm, Mgr Anders Arborelius, as the first Nordic cardinal in the history of Sweden and Scandinavia at large. He was consecrated on 28 June 2017 and probably it’s no coincidence that in late 2017 Sweden's leading news magazine Fokus named him Swede of the Year for 2017.

'It is a sign that the Catholic Church is increasingly becoming a reality in Sweden and part of Swedish culture'

Swede of the Year is a title given annually, since 1984, by an independent jury to a person who during the year has distinguished her or himself in a way that has changed Sweden for the better. As a matter of fact, Cardinal Arborelius came to top the list of candidates who are ‘interesting and challenging: not simply well-known.’

‘Nineteen years ago, the Swede of the year stepped into a role that no Swede had played since the 16th century’, reads the nomination of the jury, referring to his appointment as bishop of Stockholm in 1998. ‘This year he became the first Swede ever to wear the red biretta. The Swede of the Year has already made history, but he is also a person who, ever since his appointment in 1998, has been part of Swedish public debate. To represent the Catholic Church in a country whose identity is mainly secular and otherwise Lutheran, requires a fearless attitude.’

Cardinal Arborelius was happy for the nomination, telling Vatican Radio, ‘I think Fokus showed courage in having chosen me. It is a sign that the Catholic Church is increasingly becoming a reality in Sweden and part of Swedish culture.’

Interestingly, the organisers of the Summorum Pontificum pilgrimage have announced that this year’s pilgrimage to Rome, due to take place from October 26-28, 2018, will be led by His Excellency Czeslaw Kozon, bishop of Copenhagen, Denmark.

As far as is known, this is the first time a Catholic prelate, and his northern country, has been associated at such prominent level with a far-reaching initiative based on the celebration of the pre-Vatican II rite in Latin. And this is all the more surprising if one thinks of the level of Protestantisation and secularization of Nordic societies.

Yet, the Vetus Ordo is increasingly celebrated in the Nordic countries. For example, in 2017 the author of this article was given the rare privilege of attending for the first time a Traditional Latin Mass on Assumption Day (August 15) at the St Olav Parish Church in Jyväskylä, a major city in in the central north of Finland. The Mass was being celebrated by the local diocesan parish priest, Father Anders Hamberg. Ordained in June 2014, Father Hamberg celebrated his first Mass on Pentecost Sunday as a Missa Cantata according to the Missale Romanum of 1962, in the cathedral in Helsinki, with the full blessing of the Helsinki bishop, Mgr Teemu Sippo.

If the Traditional Latin Mass is making inroads in Scandinavia, it is also due to the fact that at least three of the region’s bishops are in favour of the old Mass. But with a difference at least thus far: as far as is known, whereas Cardinal Arborelius and Mgr Sippo are not on record for having themselves celebrated the old rite, Mgr Kozon has not only been supportive of the Extraordinary Form since taking office in 1995, and especially since Summorum Pontificum, but has also celebrated an EF Solemn Pontifical Mass at the throne for the feast of the Assumption last year, to mark the 10th anniversary of Summorum Pontificum. The Extraordinary Form is currently celebrated on the first, third and fifth Sundays of each month in Copenhagen, and occasionally in Aarhus, the second city of the country. It is somewhat dependent on visiting priests, but a few younger priests and seminarians are showing interest. (see https://tinyurl. com/ycsv7avg).

Following Summorum Pontificum, the official website of the diocese of Stockholm featured a post, significantly entitled ‘Tridentinsk mässa’, where the senior prelate outlined his plans for the promotion and expansion of the celebration of the old rite, to preserve and consolidate such rich liturgical and spiritual traditions. He then went on thanking the priests of the Institute of Christ the King for their regular support, not only for the celebration of the liturgy, and they will continue to do so also in the future, but also for being prepared to teach other priests who would like to learn how to celebrate the old rite. ‘Therefore,’ he concluded, ‘the idea is to expand the celebration of this Mass in the three places in the country where it already exists: Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö/Lund.’ (https://web.archive. org/web/20100417002248/http://www. katolskakyrkan.se/1/1.0.1.0/255/1/).

Let hope and pray for the continued growth of the EF apostolate in the Nordic countries.