Pope Visits Sweden to Urge Catholic-Lutheran Reconciliation

Pope Francis visited the cities Lund and Malmo in southern Sweden on October 31 to participate in a joint Catholic-Lutheran commemoration of the 500 year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. At the prayer service in Lund Cathedral, Pope Francis emphasized the need for a harmonious relationship between Lutherans and Catholics, stating,“We too must look with love and honesty at our past, recognizing error and seeking forgiveness, for God alone is our judge.” Pope Francis, the first pope to visit Sweden in 27 years, noted the Reformation’s positive impact on Catholic practices and expressed his gratitude toward its renewed emphasis on the Bible.

Pope Francis’ attempt for reconciliation in Sweden is significant given that Sweden was heavily scarred during the 16th century conflict between Lutheranism and Catholicism. According to Svenska Dagbladet, many Catholics were persecuted, deported, and put to death in Sweden at the time. Catholic convents were banned in Sweden until the 1970s, and Catholics were prohibited from working as doctors, teachers, and nurses until as recently as 1951.

Given the historically controversial treatment of Catholics in Sweden, many conservative Catholics expressed disappointment in Pope Francis’ remarks that extolled the benefits which the Reformation brought to Swedish Catholicism, according to Reuters. To this day, Catholicism remains a minority religion in Sweden.  

However, the Pope’s visit does coincide with the incremental growth of Catholicism in Sweden as a result of immigration. Monsignor Furio Cesare, Judicial Vicar of the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm, told The Seattle Times on October 28, “Now we have a situation in which the Catholic Church is also an important part in the social life in Sweden.”

The Lutheran Church, in contrast, has witnessed a decline in its membership in Sweden since it separated from the state in 2000 and made commitment to church non-obligatory. As a result, Sweden became one of the most secular nations in the world, according to The Telegraph. The Lutheran Church lost 11 percent of its members over the course of 10 years, and the decline continues despite the church’s efforts to adopt liberal ideals about abortion, gay rights and gender equality.

Local News adds that there are currently 113,000 Catholics and 6.1 million Lutherans in Sweden, out of a population of 10 million. While the data shows a quantitative disparity between the two religious groups, Pope Francis’ visit, which many see as a breakthrough in the theological dialogue between Catholics and Lutherans, indicates the possibility of a more welcoming reception to the growing number of Catholics in Sweden.