The Diocese of Ribe (Danish: ''Ribe Stift'') is a

diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, pro ...

within the

Church of Denmark The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...

Ribe Cathedral Ribe Cathedral or Our Lady Maria Cathedral ( da, Ribe Domkirke or ''Vor Frue Maria Domkirke'') is located in the ancient city of Ribe, on the west coast of southern Jutland, Denmark. It was founded in the Viking Era as the first Christian church in ...

serves as the central cathedral within the diocese. Since 2014, the bishop has been

Elof Westergaard Elof Westergaard (born 31 March 1962 in Lemvig) is a Danish theologian who since 2014 has been a Bishop of Ribe. Priest After graduating in theology from Aarhus University in 1991, he was ordained as a priest in Ribe Cathedral . He served as t ...

. The former Roman Catholic Diocese of Ribe was formed in 948 and oversaw much of southern

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

. During the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

, the diocese converted to

Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

alongside the formation of the Church of Denmark. Thus, the diocese in its current form was established in 1536. As of 2020, the diocese oversees 219 individual churches in 200 sogns, which are divided among 8 deaneries. The diocese covers a region with a population of 355,839, of which 295,860 are members of the church.

List of Bishops

* Johann Wenth, 1537–1541 *

Hans Tausen Hans Tausen (Tavsen) (1494 – 11 November 1561) was the leading Lutheran theologian of the Danish Reformation in Denmark. He served as Bishop of Ribe and published the first translation of the Pentateuch into Danish in 1535. Background Ha ...

, 1541–1561 *

Poul Madsen Poul is a Danish masculine given name. It is the Danish cognate of the name Paul. Poul may refer to: People * Poul Andersen (1922–2006), Danish printer *Poul Anderson (1926–2001), American writer *Poul Erik Andreasen (born 1949), Danish foot ...

, 1562–1569 * Hans Laugesen, 1569–1594 * Peder Jensen Hegelund, 1595–1614 * Iver Iversen, 1614–1629 * Jens Dinesen Jersin, 1629–1634 *

Hans Borchardsen Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...

, 1635–1643 * Erik Monrad, 1643–1650 * Peder Jensen Kragelund, 1650–1681 *

Christen Jensen Lodberg Christen Jensen Lodberg (31 October 1625 - 12 June 1693) was a Danish bishop. Born in Todbøl, Lodbjerg Parish, his father, Jens Christensen, was a farmer. In his eleventh year he went to the small grammar school in Thisted, and then to Viborg, ...

, 1681–1693 * Ancher Anchersen, 1693–1701 * Christian Muus, 1701–1712 * Johannes Ocksen, 1712–1713 * Laurids Thura, 1713–1731 * Matthias Anchersen, 1731–1741 *

Hans Adolph Brorson Hans Adolph Brorson (20 June 1694 – 3 June 1764) was a Danish pietist clergyman, hymn write and translator of German language hymns. He served as Bishop of the Diocese of Ribe. Biography Brorson was born at the vicarage at Randerup in T� ...

, 1741–1764 * Jørgen Bloch Carstens, 1764–1773 * Eiler Eilersen Hagerup, 1773–1774 * Tønne Bloch, 1774–1786 * Stephan Middelboe, 1786–1811 *

Victor Christian Hjort The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...

, 1811–1818 * Stephan Tetens, 1819 * Jens Michael Hertz, 1819–1825 * Conrad Daniel Koefoed, 1825–1831 *

Nicolai Fogtmann Nicolai may refer to: *Nicolai (given name) people with the forename ''Nicolai'' *Nicolai (surname) people with the surname ''Nicolai'' *Nicolai (crater), a crater on the Moon See also * Niccolai, a surname * Nicolae (disambiguation) * Nicolao * ...

, 1831–1833 * Tage Christian Müller, 1833–1849 * Jacob Brøgger Daugaard, 1850–1867 * Carl Frederik Balslev, 1867–1895 * Carl Viggo Gøtzche, 1895–1901 * Peter Gabriel Koch, 1901–1922 * Oluf Peter Kirstein Vogn Olesen, 1923–1930 * Søren Westergaard Mejsen, 1930–1939 * Carl Immanuel Scharling, 1939–1949 * Morten Christian Lindegaard, 1949–1956 * Henrik Dons Christensen, 1956–1980 * Helge Skov, 1980–1991 *

Niels Holm Niels is a male given name, equivalent to Nicholas, which is common in Denmark, Belgium, Norway (formerly) and the Netherlands. The Norwegian and Swedish variant is Nils. The name is a developed short form of Nicholas or Greek Nicolaos after Sai ...

, 1991–2003 *

Elisabeth Dons Christensen Elisabeth Dons Christensen (born 14 May 1944) is a Danish Lutheran theologian who served as bishop for the Diocese of Ribe from 2003 until her retirement in 2014 at the age of 70. Biography Dons Christensen was one of several brothers and sisters, ...

, 2003–2014 *

, 2014–''present''

References

External links

Church of Denmark dioceses

Diocese Of Ribe The Diocese of Ribe (Danish: ''Ribe Stift'') is a diocese within the Church of Denmark. Ribe Cathedral serves as the central cathedral within the diocese. Since 2014, the bishop has been Elof Westergaard. The former Roman Catholic Diocese of ...

1536 establishments in Denmark {{Lutheran-stub