Topic summary

Diocese of Skara

Diocese of Skara

Lutheran diocese in Sweden The Diocese of Skara (Swedish: Skara stift) is the oldest existing diocese in Sweden. It was originally a Latin bishopric of the Roman Catholic church, but since the Protestant Reformation has been a Lutheran diocese within the Church of Sweden, with its seat in Skara at Skara Cathedral. In 2014, it celebrated its 1000-year anniversary as a full diocese. History Catholic organisation The diocese was first founded around 990 CE in Skara, the capital of the country of the Geats in Götaland. It covered the entire era of medieval Götaland until about 1100, when the eastern portion of the diocese was split off and formed the Diocese of Linköping. It then consisted of the provinces of Västergötland and Värmland. When the Diocese of Skara was founded, it was initially suffragan to the Archdiocese of Hamburg-Bremen until 1104 when it was transferred to the Archdiocese of Lund. In 1164 it was finally made suffragan to the Archdiocese of Uppsala, under which it remained until the Catholic diocese's dissolution during the Protestant Reformation. The diocese's cathedral chapter consisted latterly of a dean, an archdeacon, a subdean, and twenty-one canons. The t