The Catholic Church is witnessing an unprecedented wave of interest and conversion across Scandinavia, especially among young people disillusioned with secularism, sexual permissiveness and the breakdown of traditional family values.
According to Norway's Catholic Bishops' Council, Catholic congregations are experiencing an increase in older converts, confirmations and enrollments in religious education, as some young people embrace Christianity after negative experiences with paganism and New Age spirituality.
"This is one of the most secular regions in the world, and many have tried the dominant worldview and found it empty," said Ragnhild Aadland Høen, a spokeswoman for Norway's Catholic bishops. Similar developments are being reported in Sweden and Denmark, where a growing number of people are discovering Catholicism through the Internet and attending mass in search of religious meaning.
The Catholic Church now has about 406,000 members across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, supported by 419 priests and 349 nuns. Its growth was also due to immigration from predominantly Catholic countries, especially from Poland.
High-profile converts, including the Norwegian Nobel Prize-winning author John Fosse and Swedish Cardinal Lars Anders Arborlius, further increased the church's visibility.
"The church clearly offers a different set of values than those of today's liberal and permissive society, and that attracts people," said Sister Anna Miriam Cashner, the general secretary of the Nordic bishops' conference. Catholic leaders are now expanding evangelization efforts, with Oslo preparing its first diocesan synod and Sweden launching a national course for potential converts.