The archbishop has to do – Mariestads-magazine

Swedish Church’s crisis continues. The previous audit of how some congregations use the money, for example, expensive trips laid the foundation for a large member pin. In June, asked more than 13 000 members exit from the Swedish Church. That same month last year made nearly 2 000 people the same thing, it was a normal year. The members continued their exodus in July when over 5000 left the Swedish church.

Unlike the common tappet which is more about the secular, urban people who do not see the point of the church, it is now the church’s core troops who have been probably. Recent divisive debate after the murder of a French Catholic priest Jacques Hamel and Facebook group My cross has hardly strengthened the Swedish Church’s position of many members.

Archbishop Antje Jackelén finally took the blade from his mouth a few days before her vacation is over. On Twitter, she wrote that the Swedish church, of course, is a Christian and that the cross is the main symbol of the Church both prays for helping persecuted and that “we help people not because they are Christians, but because we are Christians.”

There was an attempt to reconcile a church in just a few weeks has suffered serious internal conflicts. These also have taken place in public. Had the archbishop made his gambit when the conflict began, perhaps sufficed. Now it is not enough.

It all started so innocently. A Facebook group encouraging people to carry the cross in solidarity with the world’s persecuted Christians. But it quickly escalated.

Swedish Church Communications, Gunnar Sjöberg, wrote on Facebook that the call felt seditious and unchristian and asked if it must go to religious war. Anna Karin Hammar, a priest in the Swedish Church, joined in and accused the initiators of My Cross, three priests in the Swedish Church, to have an anti-Islamic agenda.

Åke Bonnier, Bishop of Skara, wrote on his blog that one should show his cross but still felt compelled to distance themselves from this group. The lack of statements from the Swedish Church’s leadership contributed undeniably to put the image of this was the official position.

why is not the Archbishop’s conciliatory comments on Twitter. It requires a straightforward position.

Ragnar Persenius, Bishop of Uppsala, Sweden, and Mikael Mogren, Bishop of Vasteras, has clearly taken a stand My cross. The Christian newspaper Dagen has also expressed its support for the initiative and the group’s logo on its front page in August. Even Humanist presidents Christer Sturmark have shown their support for the group.

If the Swedish church is unable to take a clear position on something so obvious, but insist on continuing dodge the facts itself does not bode well for the continued membership development .

Daniel Persson