Nordic Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
The Nordic Catholic Church is a church body in Norway
of High Church Lutheran
origin, under the auspices of the Polish National Catholic Church
and Scranton Union.
The Nordic Catholic Church was founded in 1999 by a group of Catholic-minded people belonging to the “orthodox opposition” in the Lutheran
state Church of Norway
when they left the state church due to, for example, the ordination of women
to the priesthood and episcopate. During the process both the Anglican Forward in Faith
organisation and the Free Synod of the Church of Sweden
were kept fully informed. In Sweden it was paralleled by the foundation of the Mission Province
of the Church of Sweden.
The "Statement of Faith" of the Nordic Catholic Church states that it adheres to its Lutheran heritage to the extent that it has embraced and transmitted the orthodox and catholic
faith of the undivided church, therefore also embracing the Catholic faith as taught by the Polish National Catholic Church
.
The bishop of the Nordic Catholic Church in Scandinavia is Roald Nikolai Flemestad.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
of High Church Lutheran
High Church Lutheranism
"High Church Lutheranism" is the name given in Europe for the 20th century Lutheran movement that emphasizes worship practices and doctrines that are similar to those found within both Roman Catholicism and the Anglo-Catholic wing of Anglicanism...
origin, under the auspices of the Polish National Catholic Church
Polish National Catholic Church
The Polish National Catholic Church is a Christian church founded and based in the United States by Polish-Americans who were Roman Catholic. The PNCC is a breakaway Catholic Church in dialogue with the Catholic Church; it seeks full communion with the Holy See although it differs theologically...
and Scranton Union.
The Nordic Catholic Church was founded in 1999 by a group of Catholic-minded people belonging to the “orthodox opposition” in the Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
state Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
when they left the state church due to, for example, the ordination of women
Ordination of women
Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...
to the priesthood and episcopate. During the process both the Anglican Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith
Forward in Faith is a movement operating in a number of provinces of the Anglican Communion. It represents a traditionalist strand of Anglo-Catholicism and is characterised by its opposition to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate and, more recently, to more liberal Anglican...
organisation and the Free Synod of the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
were kept fully informed. In Sweden it was paralleled by the foundation of the Mission Province
Missionsprovinsen
Missionsprovinsen is a second, independent ecclesiastical province within the Church of Sweden and somewhat also inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, founded by members of the "orthodox opposition" to the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate...
of the Church of Sweden.
The "Statement of Faith" of the Nordic Catholic Church states that it adheres to its Lutheran heritage to the extent that it has embraced and transmitted the orthodox and catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
faith of the undivided church, therefore also embracing the Catholic faith as taught by the Polish National Catholic Church
Polish National Catholic Church
The Polish National Catholic Church is a Christian church founded and based in the United States by Polish-Americans who were Roman Catholic. The PNCC is a breakaway Catholic Church in dialogue with the Catholic Church; it seeks full communion with the Holy See although it differs theologically...
.
The bishop of the Nordic Catholic Church in Scandinavia is Roald Nikolai Flemestad.
External links
- Nordic Catholic Church official website,
- Scandinavian Lutherans form "Continuing" church
- Out on a Limb in Norway by William J. Tighe (Touchstone July/August, 2002)
- Report from Norway by Fr Roald Flemestad - The National Assembly of Forward in Faith UK on 6 and 7 October 2006