Roman Catholicism in Denmark

Our Lady's Church in Aarhus

The Roman Catholic Church in Denmark is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome and the Scandinavian Bishops Conference.

The number of Catholics in Denmark, a predominantly Protestant country, comprises less than 1% of the population.

History

The Roman Catholic Church has been present in the area that now constitutes the Kingdom of Denmark since Saint Ansgar in the 9th century initiated a Danish mission. However, the Lutheran Reformation in 1536 meant an end to Roman Catholicism in Denmark for nearly a century and a half. In 1682, it was re-recognized by the Danish state, along with the Reformed Church and Judaism, although conversion to it from Lutheranism remained illegal. The constitution of 1849 provided for religious freedom and the Roman Catholic Church was again allowed to spread in Denmark, but it has never grown to become more than a small minority.

Organization

The highest office in the Roman Catholic Church in Denmark has since 1995 been held by bishop Czeslaw Kozon, who participates in the Scandinavian Bishops Conference. Bishop Czeslaw Kozon resides in St. Ansgar's Cathedral, Copenhagen, which is dedicated to the patron saint of Denmark.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen covers the whole of the country, together with the Faroe Islands and Greenland, and as such is one of the largest Catholic dioceses by area in the world.

See also

• Knud den Hellige (1043–1086) – Danish king and saint.
• Niels Steensen (1638–1686) – a Dane beatified by Pope John Paul II.

External links

• Statistics relating to the Catholic Church in Denmark
• Den Katolske Kirke i Danmark
• Traditional Catholic Rite in Denmark