The Diocese of Strängnäs ( sv, Strängnäs stift) is a part of the Lutheran

Church of Sweden The Church of Sweden ( sv, Svenska kyrkan) is an Evangelical Lutheran national church in Sweden. A former state church, headquartered in Uppsala, with around 5.6 million members at year end 2021, it is the largest Christian denomination in Sw ...

and has its seat in

Strängnäs Cathedral Strängnäs Cathedral ( sv, Strängnäs domkyrka) is a Lutheran cathedral church in Strängnäs, Sweden, since the Protestant Reformation the seat of the Church of Sweden Diocese of Strängnäs. Architecture Construction of the cathedral bega ...

Strängnäs Strängnäs is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Strängnäs Municipality, Södermanland County, Sweden with 15,363 inhabitants in 2020. It is located by Lake Mälaren and is the episcopal see of the Diocese of Strängnäs, one of t ...

, south of

Lake Mälaren A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

. The diocese is made up of the two provinces

Närke Närke () is a Provinces of Sweden, Swedish traditional province, or ''landskap'', situated in Svealand in south central Sweden. It is bordered by Västmanland to the north, Södermanland to the east, Östergötland to the southeast, Västergö ...

and

Södermanland Södermanland ( or ), locally Sörmland, sometimes referred to under its Latin form ''Sudermannia'' or ''Sudermania'', is a historical province or ''landskap'' on the south eastern coast of Sweden. It borders Östergötland, Närke, Västmanla ...

(except for eastern Södermanland, which belongs to

Stockholm County Stockholm County ( sv, Stockholms län, link=no ) is a county or '' län'' (in Swedish) on the Baltic Sea coast of Sweden. It borders Uppsala County and Södermanland County. It also borders Mälaren and the Baltic Sea. The city of Stockholm ...

and the Diocese of Stockholm). The diocese was first a Latin Catholic

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdictiona ...

of the then Danish

Diocese of Lund The Diocese of Lund ( sv, Lunds stift) is a diocese within the Church of Sweden which corresponds to the provinces of Blekinge and Skåne. There are 217 parishes within the diocese, the most significant number in any of the dioceses of the Chu ...

, which in 1104 was elevated to an

archdiocese In 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 provinces were administratively associate ...

and became the Metropolitan see of all of

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

. From 1164 on Strängnäs was suffragan to the Swedish

archbishop of Uppsala The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until the early 20th century) has been the primate (bishop), primate of Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward un ...

. It was established during the 12th century by the English

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

Saint Eskil Saint Eskil (11th century) was an Anglo-Saxon monk particularly venerated during the end of the 11th century in the province of Södermanland, Sweden. He was the founder of the first diocese of the lands surrounding Lake Mälaren, today the Dioces ...

Catholic Diocese

Missionary Antecedents

In 829

Ansgar Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the "Apostle of the North" b ...

and his companion, Witmar, having reached Björkö (Birka), an island in

and a great centre of trade, were well received and made many converts. Returning to Germany in 831, Ansgar was made first

Archbishop of Hamburg The Archdiocese of Hamburg (Lat. ''Archidioecesis Hamburgensis''; Ger. Erzbistum Hamburg) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese in the north of Germany and covers the Federal States of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein as well as ...

by Gregory IV and given a share in the superintendence of the

Northern Mission Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland The Northern Highland is a geographical region in the north central United States cov ...

hitherto exercised by

Ebbo, Archbishop of Reims Ebbo or Ebo ( – 20 March 851) was the Archbishop of Rheims from 816 until 835 and again from 840 to 841. He was born a German serf on the royal demesne of Charlemagne. He was educated at his court and became the librarian and councillo ...

. Ebbo's relative Gautbert (Simon) became

archbishop of Sweden The Archbishop of Uppsala (spelled Upsala until the early 20th century) has been the primate of Sweden in an unbroken succession since 1164, first during the Catholic era, and from the 1530s and onward under the Lutheran church. Historical ove ...

and built a church at Birka. This success incurred the enmity of the heathen Swedes, who drove him from the country in 837, and slew his relative Nithard. Ansgar sent Ardgeir to Sweden in 844, but he did not stay long. Ansgar revisited Björkö in 853, when a law tolerating Christianity was passed, and until 865

Rimbert Saint Rimbert (or Rembert) (''c.'' 830 - 11 June 888 in Bremen) was archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, in the northern part of the Kingdom of East Frankia from 865 until his death in 888. He most famously wrote the hagiography about the life Ansgar, th ...

, Ansgar's biographer and successor, and other missionaries worked there. In 936

Hamburg-Bremen The Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (german: Fürsterzbistum Bremen) — not to be confused with the modern Archdiocese of Hamburg, founded in 1994 — was an ecclesiastical principality (787–1566/1648) of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic ...

's Archbishop

Unni Unni may refer to: People * Unni (Indian name) * Unni (Norwegian given name) * Unni (bishop) 9th century German bishop Indian Malayalam films * ''Unni'' (1989 film) * ''Unni'' (2007 film) * ''Unni Vanna Divasam ''Unni Vanna Divasam'' is a 1 ...

visited Björkö and died there. In 1066 the city was utterly destroyed.

Pre-Reformation bishops

Late legend has it that Saint Eskil, an English bishop, disturbed a heathen sacrifice held at Strängnäs by king

Blot-Sweyn Blot-Sweyn (Swedish:''Blot-Sven'') was a Swedish king c. 1080, who replaced his Christian brother-in-law Inge as King of Sweden, when Inge had refused to administer the blóts (pagan sacrifices) at the Temple at Uppsala. There is no mention of Swey ...

and was killed.

Saint Botvid Saint Botvid was a Christian missionary in Sweden during the 11th and early 12th centuries. Biography Botvid, who was born in Södermanland, Sweden, went on a trade trip to England where he came into contact with Christianity and was converted ...

, a native layman converted in England, continued the preaching of Christianity until his murder on 28 July 1120 by a Slavonic captive whom he had redeemed. About this time Ragnhild, wife of King Inge II, died and was buried at

Södertälje Södertälje ( , ) is a Urban areas in Sweden, city in Södermanland and Stockholm County, Sweden and seat of Södertälje Municipality. As of 2017, it has 72,704 inhabitants. Södertälje is located at Mälarens confluence in to the Baltic Sea ...

, of which town she became the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

. In 1152 the limits of the diocese of Strängnäs were determined at an assembly at

Linköping Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...

. The first bishop was Gerder (1129–59), who founded a school at the

Cluniac The Cluniac Reforms (also called the Benedictine Reform) were a series of changes within medieval monasticism of the Western Church focused on restoring the traditional monastic life, encouraging art, and caring for the poor. The movement began wi ...

monastery of Strängnäs. He was succeeded by Bishop William (1160–1208). In 1160 the

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

abbey of Juleta was founded. In 1165

(Nerike) was added to the diocese. About this time the building of

was begun. In 1176 or 1179 the new stone church at

Botkyrka Botkyrka Municipality ( ) is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden, not far from the capital Stockholm. Its seat is located in the town of Tumba. In 1971 ''Grödinge'' was merged with Botkyrka and in 1974 ''Salem'' was added. ...

was consecrated by Bishop William and Stefan, Archbishop of Uppsala; the relics of Botvid were translated to it. A hospital of St. John of Jerusalem was built over the grave of Saint Eskil, and was restored in 1255. Bishop Olaf or Ulf Bonde (1208–24), called Basatömer, a nephew of King

Saint Eric Eric IX, ( Swedish: ''Erik Jedvardsson; Erik den helige; Sankt Erik''; d. 18 May 1160) also called Eric the Holy, Saint Eric, and Eric the Lawgiver, was a Swedish king in the 12th century, 1156–1160. The ''Roman Martyrology'' of the Catholic ...

, was transferred to Upsala. The see lay vacant for nine years, but in 1233 Bishop Trogil was elected. About this time the

Cistercian nunnery Cistercian nuns are female members of the Cistercian Order, a religious order belonging to the Roman Catholic branch of the Catholic Church. History The first Cistercian monastery for women, Le Tart Abbey, was established at Tart-l'Abbaye in t ...

of Vårfruberga ( la, Mons Mariae) on the island of Fogdö and in 1234 the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related Mendicant orders, mendicant Christianity, Christian Catholic religious order, religious orders within the Catholic Church. Founded in 1209 by Italian Catholic friar Francis of Assisi, these orders include t ...

priory at Nykoping were founded. About 1250 Frogil was succeeded by Kol, who resigned in 1257 and was succeeded by Bishop Finved (1257–75). About 1268 the Dominican priory at Strängnäs was founded. In 1291 Bishop Annund (1275–91) consecrated the cathedral, which was burnt down on the same day, and rebuilt by Isarus, the next bishop (1291–1303). In 1305 it was decided that the city of

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

belonged to Uppsala, but

Södermalm Södermalm, often shortened to just Söder, is a district and island in central Stockholm. Overview The district covers the large island of the same name (formerly called ''Åsön''). Although Södermalm usually is considered an island, wat ...

belonged to Strängnäs. The poet Thomas Simonsson (1380–1443) was bishop 1429 – 1443. The most famous of the later bishops was

Kort Rogge Kort Rogge ( 1425 — 5 April 1501), also known as Rogge Kyle, Konrad Rogge, Cort Rogge, Conradus Roggo gothus and Conradus Roggo de Holmis, was a Swedish bishop, member of the Privy Council of Sweden, and humanist. Background and studies The firs ...

(1479–1501), a doctor of

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...

in northern Italy and a learned humanist. He built the present cathedral choir about 1481, and founded a

charterhouse Charterhouse may refer to: * Charterhouse (monastery), of the Carthusian religious order Charterhouse may also refer to: Places * The Charterhouse, Coventry, a former monastery * Charterhouse School, an English public school in Surrey London ...

at Svartsjo about 1493 and a hospital for aged and infirm priests at Strängnäs in 1496. In 1495 he had the

Breviary A breviary (Latin: ''breviarium'') is a liturgical book used in Christianity for praying the canonical hours, usually recited at seven fixed prayer times. Historically, different breviaries were used in the various parts of Christendom, such a ...

of Strengnäs printed at Stockholm in a revised edition. His successor, Matthias Gregerson Lilje, was the protector of "the Swedish Luther",

Olaus Petri Olof Persson, sometimes Petersson (6 January 1493 – 19 April 1552), better known under the Latin form of his name, Olaus Petri (or less commonly, Olavus Petri), was a clergyman, writer, judge, and major contributor to the Protestant Reformatio ...

(b. at Örebro, 1493), who, having studied as a disciple of

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

and Melancthon at

Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon language, Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the Ri ...

in Saxony (1516–18), returned to Strängnäs in 1519. The bishop made him

chancellor of the diocese A diocesan chancery is the branch of administration which handles all written documents used in the official government of a Catholic or Anglican diocese. It is in the diocesan chancery that, under the direction of the bishop or his representativ ...

and master of the

cathedral school Cathedral schools began in the Early Middle Ages as centers of advanced education, some of them ultimately evolving into medieval universities. Throughout the Middle Ages and beyond, they were complemented by the monastic schools. Some of these ...

, and in 1520 he was ordained

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Churc ...

and became a

canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western ca ...

of Strengnäs. There he taught

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 ...

, a form of belief with which Bishop Gregerson was entirely unacquainted. The bishop was beheaded on 8 November 1520 during the massacre at Stockholm.

Cathedral and institutions

The cathedral of Strängnäs with its numerous chapels, one of which now contains a fine museum of ecclesiastical art, the bishop's palace, built about 1490, now the cathedral school, the fine Church of St. Nicholas at the interesting old town of

Örebro Örebro ( , ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, sixth-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Örebro Municipality, and capital of the Örebro County. It is situated by the Närke Plain, near the lake Hjälmaren, a few kilometers in ...

, and numerous ancient village churches bear witness to the piety of the inhabitants in Catholic times. Three provincial synods were held at Telge in the Diocese of Strängnäs in 1279, 1341 and 1380. The first two issued statutes on matters concerning the discipline of the clergy, while the synod of 1380 threatened with various penalties those who molested the tenants of church lands. The " Sondermannalagen", a code of laws published early in the fourteenth century for the people of Sodermanland, contains a number of ecclesiastical laws. Among other institutions, there was in the diocese the chapter of the cathedral, funded about 1288, which counted thirteen members at the end of the fifteenth century, besides which there were a least eighteen chaplains, who served the eighteen altars. The diocese contained in addition Mariefred Charterhouse (1491–1526), and Örebro Priory, founded by the

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

s in 1418.

Lutheran Reformation

King Christian II of Sweden gave the bishopric to Jens Andersen Beldenak, Bishop of Odense, who however returned to Denmark in April 1521. During the vacancy the diocese was governed by

Laurentius Andreae Laurentius Andreae ( Swedish: Lars Andersson ) (c. 1470 – 14 April 1552) was a Swedish Lutheran clergyman and scholar who is acknowledged as one of his country's preeminent intellectual figures during the first half of the 16th century. In h ...

who had become

archdeacon An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in the Church of the East, Chaldean Catholic Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Anglican Communion, St Thomas Christians, Eastern Orthodox churches and some other Christian denominations, above that o ...

of Strängnäs in 1520. He greatly favoured

, and as chancellor of king Gustavus Vasa (1523) he promoted the interests of Protestantism. The last Catholic bishop of Strängnäs, if he can be called so, was Magnus Sommar (1528–36), dean of Strängnäs in 1518, nominated bishop by Gustavus Vasa in 1522, and consecrated without papal confirmation by Petrus Magni,

bishop of Västerås A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

, 6 January 1528. Messenius states that the bishops elect signed a document in which they promised to go to Rome to seek papal confirmation, and thus persuaded Petrus Magni to proceed to the consecration. Magnus Sommar was very submissive towards the king, but his concessions did not save him. He was deposed and imprisoned, and released in order that he might retire to the monastery of

Krokek Krokek is a locality situated in Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, Sweden with 4,285 inhabitants in 2010. It is the main settlement of Kolmården Kolmården () is a long and wide densely forested rocky ridge that separates the Swe ...

References

Sources and external links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Strangnas, Diocese Dioceses of the Church of Sweden Former Catholic dioceses in Sweden Dioceses established in the 12th century