Church of Sweden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of Sweden |
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| Svenska kyrkan | |
Arms of the Church of Sweden with its centred crown, representing both the victory of Christ over death and the crown of Erik the Holy, Patron Saint of Sweden.
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| Type | Communion |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Lutheran |
| Scripture | Bible |
| Theology |
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| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | General Synod |
| Primate | Martin Modéus |
| Associations |
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| Full Communion |
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| Region | Sweden |
| Headquarters | Uppsala, Sweden |
| Founder |
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| Origin | 1014, establishment of the first Swedish diocese, the Diocese of Skara 1164, establishment of the Archdiocese of Uppsala 1536, separation from Rome through the abolition of Canon Law |
| Separated from | Roman Catholic Church |
| Separations | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (1809) The Mission Province (2003) |
| Congregations | 1 288 in Sweden, 31 abroad (2023) |
| Members | 5 484 319 baptized members (2023) |
| Logo |  |
The Church of Sweden (Swedish: Svenska kyrkan) is a large Evangelical Lutheran church in Sweden. It used to be the official state church. Its main office is in Uppsala. With about 5.4 million members in 2023, it is the biggest Christian group in Sweden. It is also the largest Lutheran church in Europe and the third largest in the world.
The Church of Sweden is part of the Porvoo Communion, which means it has close ties with other Lutheran and Anglican churches. It follows Lutheranism and is organized into thirteen dioceses, which are like large church districts. These dioceses are then divided into smaller areas called parishes. The church is open to everyone and works through a democratic system. The main leader of the Church of Sweden is the Archbishop of Uppsala.
The Church of Sweden has kept many traditional church practices. This includes having priests, special clothes for services, and the traditional Mass. Like other Lutheran churches in Nordic countries, it has bishops who can trace their leadership back through history. This is called apostolic succession. The church believes its faith is a part of the wider Christian faith.
About 52.1% of people in Sweden were members of the church in 2023. Before 2000, it was the official state church. Until 1996, all babies born in Sweden automatically became members unless their parents chose otherwise. Today, about 2% of members attend church regularly.
Contents
Understanding the Church of Sweden's Beliefs
King Gustav I Vasa started the Church of Sweden in 1536. This act separated the church from the Roman Catholic Church. In 1571, the Swedish Church Ordinance became the first set of rules for the church after the Reformation.
The Church of Sweden officially became Lutheran at the Uppsala Synod in 1593. At this meeting, the church adopted the Augsburg Confession, which is a key statement of Lutheran beliefs. They also decided to keep three important Christian statements of faith: the Apostles' Creed, the Athanasian Creed, and the Nicene Creed.
Over time, other teachings were approved, especially to help the church work with other Christian groups. These included new versions of the Catechism (a book of Christian teachings) and agreements with groups like the World Council of Churches.
In practice, the church uses Lutheran traditions. It also has influences from other Christian groups and movements. These include different styles of worship and local traditions.
During the 20th century, the Church of Sweden became more focused on liberal Christianity and human rights. In 1958, the church decided to allow women to become priests. Since 1960, women have been ordained as priests. In 2009, the church approved performing weddings for same-sex couples.
In 2000, the Church of Sweden stopped being the official state church. However, many people in Sweden still have a connection to the church. For example, many babies are baptized and teenagers are confirmed in the church, even if their families are not formal members. About 40% of all 14-year-olds are confirmed.
A Look at the Church's History
| Year | Population | Church members | Percentage | % change (avg.) |
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| 1972 | 8,146,000 | 7,754,784 | 95.2% | |
| 1975 | 8,208,000 | 7,770,881 | 94.7% | 0.2% |
| 1980 | 8,278,000 | 7,690,636 | 92.9% | 0.3%  |
| 1985 | 8,358,000 | 7,629,763 | 91.5% | 0.3% |
| 1990 | 8,573,000 | 7,630,350 | 89.0% | 0.5% |
| 1995 | 8,837,000 | 7,601,194 | 86.0% | 0.6% |
| 2000 | 8,880,000 | 7,360,825 | 82.9% | 0.6% |
| 2005 | 9,048,000 | 6,967,498 | 77.0% | 1.2% |
| 2010 | 9,415,570 | 6,589,769 | 70.0% | 1.4% |
| 2015 | 9,850,452 | 6,225,091 | 63.2% | 1.4% |
| 2020 | 10,379,295 | 5,728,746 | 55.2% | 1.6% |
| 2021 | 10,452,326 | 5,633,867 | 53.9% | 1.3% |
| 2022 | 10,536,649 | 5,563,351 | 52.8% | 1.1% |
| 2023 | 5 484 319 | 52.1% | 0.8% |
Christianity came to Sweden around the year 1000 AD. This was around the same time as other Nordic countries. The Swedish King Olof was baptized then. However, older beliefs like Norse paganism continued for some time. For example, a major religious site called the Temple at Uppsala was still used in the late 11th century.
The Christian church in Scandinavia was first led by the archdiocese of Bremen. In 1104, an archbishop for all Scandinavia was set up in Lund. Uppsala became Sweden's own archdiocese in 1164, and it still is today.
The most important Swedish Catholic saints were King Eric the Saint from the 12th century and Bridget from the 14th century. Many churches were named after them.
The Reformation in Sweden
In 1523, King Gustav Vasa became ruler. He asked the Pope in Rome to confirm Johannes Magnus as the new Archbishop of Sweden. The Pope wanted the old archbishop, Gustav Trolle, to be put back in his place. King Gustav disagreed. He started supporting Swedish reformers like the brothers Olaus and Laurentius Petri.
The king helped print new religious texts by the Petri brothers. In 1526, all Catholic printing presses were stopped. Also, two-thirds of the church's taxes were taken to pay off the country's debts. A final break with the old Catholic traditions happened at a meeting called by the king in Västerås in 1544.
During the Reformation, some Catholic rituals were removed. However, the changes in Sweden were not as extreme as in Germany. Swedish churches kept crosses, crucifixes, and traditional church clothes. Many holy days based on saints were kept until the late 18th century because people strongly resisted removing them.
After King Gustav Vasa died, Sweden was ruled by John III, who favored Catholic ways. Then his son, Sigismund, who was also the ruler of Catholic Poland, took over. Sigismund was later removed from the Swedish throne by his uncle, Charles IX. Charles IX used the Lutheran church to help him in his power struggle.
The New Testament was translated into Swedish in 1526, and the whole Bible in 1541. New official translations were made in 1917 and 2000. Many hymns were written by Swedish reformers, and some by Martin Luther were translated. Official hymnals (songbooks) for the Church of Sweden were adopted in 1695, 1819, 1937, and 1986. The 1986 hymnal includes songs from many different Christian groups. In 2013, Antje Jackelén was chosen as Sweden's first female archbishop.
Church and Emigration
In the 1800s and 1900s, the Church of Sweden did not support people leaving Sweden. It also opposed preachers who encouraged sobriety. This led to some ministers being treated unfairly by the church for preaching against alcohol. These events made some church members want to leave the country.
Symbols of the Church
The church's coat of arms, designed in the 19th century, is based on the Archdiocese of Uppsala's symbol. It shows a red cross on a gold background. On the cross, there is a gold crown. This crown is called the "victory crown of Christ". It looks like the crowns used in medieval times and the crowns in the Swedish coat of arms. It also resembles the crown on the head of Saint Eric in the coat of arms of Stockholm.
How the Church is Organized
The Church of Sweden has an administrative structure similar to the Swedish government. People vote directly for members of the General Synod (the Church Assembly). They also vote for leaders in the diocesan and parish assemblies. The voting system is the same as for Swedish national elections. To vote, you must be a church member, at least 16 years old, and officially living in Sweden.
Groups that participate in these elections are called "nominating groups". Some national political parties, like the Social Democrats, take part. However, there is a growing trend for independent groups to form for church elections. These groups might be based on political beliefs or be purely church-focused.
Church Leaders and Roles
The Church of Sweden has three main types of ordained ministers: bishops, priests, and deacons. There are about 5,000 ordained clergy in total.
In the Church of Sweden, a person can be directly ordained as a priest without first being ordained as a deacon. This is different from some other churches. All deacons in the Church of Sweden are "permanent deacons," meaning they serve in that role. A bishop must first be an ordained priest before becoming a bishop.
After the Reformation, the Swedish Church used both direct ordination and a step-by-step ordination process. Direct ordination became more common.
Clergy in the Church of Sweden wear traditional church clothes. Priests wear a stole crossed over their chest. Deacons wear it diagonally over their left shoulder. At the start of an ordination service, candidates wear white robes. This shows that ordination is a new beginning.
The Church of Sweden has full-time deacons who work in social welfare programs. While deacons have a role in church services, their main work is helping people outside the church community. They are connected to local parishes and work with a parish priest. Priests wear black clerical shirts, bishops wear purple, and deacons officially wear green clerical shirts.
Dioceses and Bishops
The Church of Sweden is divided into thirteen dioceses. Each diocese has a bishop and a cathedral chapter, which is a group that helps the bishop. The bishop is chosen by priests, deacons, and some church members in the diocese.
A diocese is divided into smaller areas called "deaneries," each with a leader called a provost. The main minister of a cathedral is called a "cathedral dean" and is part of the cathedral chapter.
At the local level, a church area is called a parish. One or more parishes form a "pastorat" with a head minister called a "kyrkoherde" (church shepherd). There might also be assistant priests.
In addition to the 13 dioceses in Sweden, the Church of Sweden Abroad (SKUT) has over 40 parishes in other countries. SKUT has its own governing council and seats on the General Synod. However, it does not have its own bishop. It is overseen by the Bishop of Visby.
| Diocese | Diocesan coat of arms | Seat | Cathedral | Founded | Current bishop | Bishop's coat of arms |
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| Archdiocese of Uppsala |
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Uppsala | Uppsala Cathedral |
1123 | Martin Modéus (Archbishop) Karin Johannesson (Bishop) |
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| Diocese of Skara |
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Skara | Skara Cathedral
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1014 | Åke Bonnier
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| Diocese of Lund |
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Lund | Lund Cathedral |
1048 | Johan Tyrberg
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| Diocese of Linköping |
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Linköping | Linköping Cathedral |
1100 | Marika Markovits
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| Diocese of Strängnäs |  |
Strängnäs | Strängnäs Cathedral |
1129 | Johan Dalman
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| Diocese of Växjö |  |
Växjö | Växjö Cathedral |
1165 | Fredrik Modéus
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| Diocese of Västerås |  |
Västerås | Västerås Cathedral |
12th century | Mikael Mogren
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| Diocese of Visby |  |
Visby | Visby Cathedral |
1572 | Erik Eckerdal |
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| Diocese of Karlstad |  |
Karlstad | Karlstad Cathedral |
1581 | Sören Dalevi
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| Diocese of Gothenburg |  |
Gothenburg | Gothenburg Cathedral |
1620 | Susanne Rappmann |
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| Diocese of Härnösand |  |
Härnösand | Härnösand Cathedral |
1647 | Eva Nordung Byström
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| Diocese of Luleå |  |
Luleå | Luleå Cathedral |
1904 | Åsa Nyström
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| Diocese of Stockholm |  |
Stockholm | Stockholm Cathedral |
1942 | Andreas Holmberg |
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The dioceses of Uppsala, Strängnäs, Västerås, Skara, Linköping, Växjö, and the now-Finnish Diocese of Turku are the original seven Swedish dioceses from the Middle Ages. The others were created after the Swedish Reformation in the 16th century.
Monasteries and Convents
The Church of Sweden has several communities where people live together in a religious way.
- The Sisters of the Holy Paraclete (Helgeandssystrarna) live in Alsike Convent.
- The Brothers of the Holy Cross (Heliga korsets brödraskap) are Benedictine monks. They live at the Östanbäck Monastery in Sala.
- The Sisters of St. Francis (Helige Franciskus systraskap) are Franciscan nuns. They live in Klaradals kloster in Sjövik.
- The Sisters of the Risen Saviour (Uppståndne frälsarens systraskap) live in Överselö klostergård.
- The Daughters of Mary (Mariadöttrarna av Den Evangeliska Mariavägen) are in Vallby.
- Linköpings kloster in Linköping was approved in 2006 and opened in 2014. It is a small convent focused on prayer and climate issues.
Working with Other Churches
The Church of Sweden helped create the Lutheran World Federation in 1947 in Lund, Sweden.
Since 1994, the Church of Sweden has been part of the Porvoo Communion. This means it has full communion with Anglican churches in the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula. It also connects with other Lutheran churches in Nordic and Baltic countries. In 1995, it achieved full communion with the Philippine Independent Church. Since 2015, the Church of Sweden has also been in full communion with the Episcopal Church in the United States.
In 2016, the Church of Sweden also reached full communion with the Old Catholic churches within the Union of Utrecht.
Relations with the Sámi People
In 2021, the Church of Sweden apologized for how it treated the Sámi people over many centuries. This included forcing them to become Christian and mistreating children in Sámi schools. The church also collected the remains of Sámi people for research that was based on racist ideas. The Church of Sweden called its actions against the Sámi "colonial" and "legitimized repression." Before apologizing, the church created a long document in 2019. This document detailed the church's history of harming Sámi people and trying to erase their culture.
See also
- Religion in Sweden
- Catholic Church in Sweden
- Archbishop of Uppsala
- Church of Sweden Abroad
- List of Lutheran dioceses and archdioceses
- Church of Sweden Parishes
- Swedish churches in London
- List of the largest Protestant bodies
Other Nordic National Lutheran Churches
- Church of Denmark
- Church of the Faroe Islands
- Church of Iceland
- Church of Norway
- Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
