Church of Denmark - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Church of Denmark or Danish National Church, is the state church

State church

State churches are organizational bodies within a Christian denomination which are given official status or operated by a state.State churches are not necessarily national churches in the ethnic sense of the term, but the two concepts may overlap in the case of a nation state where the state...

and largest denomination in Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

and Greenland

Greenland

Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...

. The church is Evangelical Lutheran and since the establishment of the Danish Constitution of 1849 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark (ELCD) has been regarded as "the church of the people" as well as an official national church. The church is financially supported by the state, but membership is voluntary. The Queen

Margrethe II of Denmark

Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...

is the supreme authority of the Church, with the Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs

Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Denmark

Minister for Ecclesiastical Affairs of Denmark is a Danish political minister office. The main responsibility of the minister is the Danish People's Church....

, currently Manu Sareen

Manu Sareen

Manu Sareen is the Minister for Equality and Church and Nordic Cooperation, in the Cabinet of Helle Thorning-Schmidt and former statsrevisor and member of the Copenhagen City Council, elected for the Danish Social Liberal Party....

, as the highest administrative authority of the Church. The Danish parliament, Folketinget, is the supreme legislative authority for the church. As per 1 Jan 2011, 80.4% of the population of Denmark are members of the National Church.

Organization

Church life is organized in 12 diocese

Diocese

A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

s, each led by a bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

, including one for Greenland and one for the Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

(until 29 July 2007). The further subdivision includes 111 deaneries

Deanery

A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...

and 2,200 parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

es. There are about 2,400 priest

Priest

A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

Parishes

Each parish has a parochial council, elected by church members in four-year terms. The parochial council lead the practical business of the local church and decide about employment of personnel, including the priest

Priest

(s). The priest is subordinate to the council, except in spiritual matters such as conducting service

Service of worship

In the Protestant denominations of Christianity, a service of worship is a meeting whose primary purpose is the worship of God. The phrase is normally shortened to service. It is also commonly called a worship service...

and pastoral care

Pastoral care

Pastoral care is the ministry of care and counseling provided by pastors, chaplains and other religious leaders to members of their church or congregation, or to persons of all faiths and none within institutional settings. This can range anywhere from home visitation to formal counseling provided...

. Both parochial councils and priests are, however, subordinate to bishops.

Voluntary congregations

A special feature is the possibility of creating voluntary congregations (valgmenighed) within the Church. These account for a few percent of church members. They are voluntary association

Voluntary association

A voluntary association or union is a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to form a body to accomplish a purpose.Strictly speaking, in many jurisdictions no formalities are necessary to start an association...

s, electing their own parochial council and priest

Priest

, whom they will pay off their own pockets. In return, they are exempt of church tax

Church tax

A church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries.- Germany :About 70% of church revenues come from church tax...

. The voluntary congregation and its priest are subordinate to bishops, and members remain full members of the Church. Historically, when a parish was dominated by a fundamentalist majority and ditto rector, the liberal minority would often set up a voluntary congregation with their own rector - and vice versa. Today the voluntary congregations are often a solution for people who find the idea of a free church

Free church

The term "free church" refers to a Christian denomination that is intrinsically separated from government . A free church does not define government policy, nor have governments define church policy or theology, nor seeks or receives government endorsement or funding for its general mission...

appealing, but wish to keep some bonds to the National Church.

Parish optionality

Another, less commonly used feature is parish optionality (sognebåndsløsning, literally "parish bond release"). If a Church member is dissatisfied with the particular rector of his residence parish, he may choose to be serviced by another rector who complies better with his Christian views, for example in a neighbouring parish.

Membership

**Church of Denmark**
year	population	members	percentage
1984	5,113,500	4,684,060	91.6%
1990	5,135,409	4,584,450	89.3%
2000	5,330,500	4,536,422	85.1%
2005	5,413,600	4,498,703	83.3%
2007	5,447,100	4,499,343	82.6%
2008	5,475,791	4,494,589	82.1%
2009	5,511,451	4,492,121	81.5%
2010	5,534,738	4,479,214	80.9%
2011	5.560.628	4,469,109	80.4%
statistical data 1984–2002, 1990–2009 and 2010. Source Kirkeministeriet

According to official statistics from January 2010, 80.9% of Danes are members of the National Church. Membership rates vary from 65% in the Diocese of Copenhagen

Diocese of Copenhagen

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church named after its episcopal see, the Danish national capital, Copenhagen...

to nearly 90% in the Diocese of Viborg

Diocese of Viborg

The Diocese of Viborg is a diocese within the Danish National Church, covering the western part of central Jutland. The diocese has the highest ratio of church members in Denmark, about 91 %....

. In recent years, the percentage of Danes that are members of the National Church has been slowly declining, the most important reasons being immigration from non-Lutheran countries, withdrawal of some members, and a somewhat lower rate (73%) of Danish infants being christened.

Terms

Everyone who is christened

Infant baptism

Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. In theological discussions, the practice is sometimes referred to as paedobaptism or pedobaptism from the Greek pais meaning "child." The practice is sometimes contrasted with what is called "believer's baptism", or...

in the National Church automatically becomes a member. Members may resign from the National Church or re-enter if they wish so. Citizens christened in other Christian groups and denominations, including other Lutheran bodies, do not automatically become members of the National Church; their christening is, however, recognised if they seek membership of the National Church. It is not possible to be a member of two or more officially recognised congregations of faith.

Excommunication

Excommunication

Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...

is legally possible, but an extraordinarily rare occurrence. Examples include declared Satanists

Satanism

Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...

. A church member supporting reincarnation

Reincarnation

Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...

was excommunicated, but the Supreme Court repealed the excommunication in 2005.

Faith and church attendance

Fewer than 5% of church members attend services every week. However, the church is still widely used for traditional family ceremonies including christenings

Infant baptism

and confirmations

Confirmation (Lutheran Church)

Confirmation in the Lutheran Church is a public profession of faith prepared for by long and careful instruction. In English, it is called "affirmation of baptism", and is a mature and public profession of the faith which "marks the completion of the congregation's program of confirmation...

. In the year 2008, 41% of wedding

Wedding

A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...

s and 89% funeral

Funeral

A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...

s were performed in the National Church, and 71% of adolescents in grade 7-8 were confirmed.

According to a 2009 poll

Opinion poll

An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...

, 25 percent of Danes believe Jesus is the son of God, and 18 percent believe he is the saviour of the world.

Doctrine

The church is aimed at having a wide acceptance of theological

Theology

Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...

views, as long as they agree with the official symbolic books as stipulated in the Danish Code

Danish Code

Danske Lov is the title of a Danish statute book from 1683, that previously formed the basis for the Danish legislation. Even though it is mainly a compilation of older, regional laws, it took 7 different commissions several decades under two different monarchs to put the Code together...

of 1683. These are:

The Apostles' Creed
Apostles' Creed
The Apostles' Creed , sometimes titled Symbol of the Apostles, is an early statement of Christian belief, a creed or "symbol"...
The Nicene Creed
Nicene Creed
The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in the year 325.The Nicene Creed has been normative to the...
The Athanasian Creed
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed is a Christian statement of belief, focusing on Trinitarian doctrine and Christology. The Latin name of the creed, Quicumque vult, is taken from the opening words, "Whosoever wishes." The Athanasian Creed has been used by Christian churches since the sixth century...
The Augsburg Confession
Augsburg Confession
The Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism
Luther's Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children. Luther's Small Catechism reviews The Ten Commandments, The Apostles' Creed, The Lord's Prayer, The Sacrament of Holy Baptism, The Office of the Keys & Confession, and The Sacrament of the...

Revised versions of the Old

Old Testament

The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...

and New Testament

New Testament

The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....

were authorised by the Queen in 1992. A revised Hymn

Hymn

A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...

Book was authorised in 2003. Both the Bible

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

translations and the Hymn Book implied widespread public and theological debate.

Historically, there is a contrast between a liberal current inspired by N.F.S. Grundtvig

Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig

Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig , most often referred to as simply N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher, and politician. He was one of the most influential people in Danish history, as his philosophy gave rise to a new form of nationalism in...

and more strict, pietist

Pietism

Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...

or Bible fundamentalist

Fundamentalist Christianity

Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...

movements (such as Indre Mission). These tensions have sometimes threatened to divide the Church. Tidehverv is a minor fraction based on Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Kierkegaard

Søren Aabye Kierkegaard was a Danish Christian philosopher, theologian and religious author. He was a critic of idealist intellectuals and philosophers of his time, such as Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling and Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel...

's existentialism

Existentialism

Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...

and Grundtvig's more conservative and national views.

The Danish National Church is member of the Porvoo Communion

Porvoo Communion

The Porvoo Communion is a communion of 12 mainly northern European Anglican and Lutheran churches. It was established in 1992 by an agreement entitled the Porvoo Common Statement which establishes full communion between and among the churches...

between Lutheran and Anglican Churches.

Liturgy

The Communion Service includes three readings from the Bible

Bible

: a chapter from one of the Gospel

Gospel

A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...

s, from one of the Epistle

Epistle

An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of people, usually an elegant and formal didactic letter. The epistle genre of letter-writing was common in ancient Egypt as part of the scribal-school writing curriculum. The letters in the New Testament from Apostles to Christians...

s or another part of the New Testament

New Testament

The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....

and, since 1992, from the Old Testament

Old Testament

. Texts are picked from an official list following the church year. Some liturgical

Liturgy

Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...

features have a fixed content but are free to the form. This accounts for the Common Prayer following the sermon

Sermon

A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...

, where the priest is obliged to mention the royal house. Some will simply mention "the Queen and all her House" whereas others will list all members of the royal house by name and title.

The sermon

Sermon

, as in other Protestant churches, is a central part of the service. The priest takes a starting point in the text of that Sunday, but is free to form a personal message of it. At special occasions, even non-priests may be allowed to preach. Hymn

Hymn

s are also very central. In contrast to Roman Catholic and Anglican churches, Danish congregations sit while singing and stand while listening to Bible readings.

As in other Lutheran churches, there are only two sacraments, Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are usually included in the Communion Service. Formerly individual or shared confession

Confession

This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...

was a condition to receive the Lord's Supper. An official confession ritual still exists, but is now used very rarely. There are also official rituals for confirmation, wedding

Wedding

, blessing of a civil wedding and funeral

Funeral

s. Emergency baptism

Emergency baptism

An emergency baptism is a baptism administered to a person in imminent danger of death. This can be done by a person not normally authorized to administer the sacrament.-Latin Rite:...

may be performed by any Christian if necessary, and later the child will then be "produced" in Church.

Female clergy

Ordination of women

Ordination in general religious usage is the process by which a person is consecrated . The ordination of women is a regular practice among some major religious groups, as it was of several religions of antiquity...

had been discussed within the church since the 1920s and was allowed in 1948, in spite of rather strong resistance from the clergy. The then present Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs was contacted by a parochial council who wished to employ a female priest. He decided there was no legal obstacle to that. The first female bishop was instituted in 1995. Today two thirds of theology students are women, and the clergy is expected to have a female majority in near future.

Among a small conservative minority, resistance to female clergy remains. In 2007 the Bishop of Viborg

Diocese of Viborg

The Diocese of Viborg is a diocese within the Danish National Church, covering the western part of central Jutland. The diocese has the highest ratio of church members in Denmark, about 91 %....

, known as a moderately conservative, revealed he had paid special regards to priests who were known to be against female clergy. He had organised ordination

Ordination

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

ceremonies in a way so that new priests who wished so could avoid shaking hands or the laying on of hands by female priests. According to the bishop, this had happened twice of the 100 ordinations he had performed. The matter made headlines amidst a debate about Muslim fundamentalists

Islamic fundamentalism

Islamic fundamentalism is a term used to describe religious ideologies seen as advocating a return to the "fundamentals" of Islam: the Quran and the Sunnah. Definitions of the term vary. According to Christine L...

who refuses to shake hands with members the opposite sex. Minister for Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs Bertel Haarder

Bertel Haarder

Bertel Geismar Haarder is a Danish politician. He represents Venstre, the Danish liberal party. From November 2001 to February 2005 he was Minister for Refugees, Immigrants and Integration in the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen I, and enacted a policy of tough measures designed to limit the...

said he would discuss the matter with the bishops, but also that tolerance for various views should be respected. In contrast, Minister for Employment Claus Hjort Frederiksen

Claus Hjort Frederiksen

Claus Hjort Frederiksen was the Danish Minister of Finance 7 April 2009 to 3 October 2011, as member of the Cabinet of Lars Løkke Rasmussen. From 2001 to 2009, he was Minister of Employment of Denmark in cabinets I II, and III of Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He is a member of the liberal party Venstre...

thought the priests in question should be fired, as public employees are obliged to shake hands with anyone.

Same-sex blessings

Since Denmark approved same-sex civil unions (registered partnership) in 1989, the question of church blessing ceremonies

Blessing of same-sex unions in Christian churches

The blessing of same-sex unions is currently an issue about which some Christian churches are at present in disagreement with other Christian churches...

for such unions emerged. After an enquiry from the Danish National Association of Gays and Lesbians

Danish National Association of Gays and Lesbians

LGBT Danmark – Landsforeningen for bøsser, lesbiske, biseksuelle og transpersoner is a lobby for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals. The association was founded in 1948 as Circle of 1948...

in 1993, bishops set up a commission to reach a stance on the matter.

In 1997, a compromise among the bishops was reached. The bishops maintained that the marriage was God's framework for the relation between a man and a woman, but this view of marriage was not affected by the fact that some people chose to live in a responsible community with a person of the same sex, approved by society, i.e. a registered partnership. The bishops disapproved of institutionalising new rituals, but couples who wished a non-ritualised marking in church of their registered partnership should be obliged. In such cases, it would be up to the rector to decide, and he should seek advice from his bishop.

Seven bishops have approved a 'recommended scheme for church blessing of registered partnerships' for use in their dioceses, while four bishops have declined to do so. The scheme has substantial omissions which distinguish it from the official (royally approved) ritual for a churchly blessing of a civilly performed marriage. About 30 percent of priests decline to perform church blessings of same-sex partnerships. Some priests, although they disapprove of same-sex marriage, approve of the blessing ceremony because everybody is entitled to the blessing of the church, and because registered partnerships are part of the civil legislation which should be respected.

A church blessing of a registered partnership is to distinguish from the legal ceremony, which is performed by a mayor or another municipal official. At occasions, the legal registered partnership ceremony has been performed not at the city hall, but outside the church, in the church porch

Porch

A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...

, or even in the church itself, immediately followed by the church blessing ceremony. This is not approved by bishops, who claim there should be a clear difference between a marriage and a blessing of a registered partnership.

Same-sex marriage

The possibility of same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....

or civil unions performed by the church that are equivalent to marriage of heterosexual people has been under discussion for some years. The issue was brought up in an unusual way by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....

in 2004, who said he would approve of such a change, although he claimed to speak as a private person on this issue, not as prime minister.

Views among proponents vary whether such a ceremony should be called 'marriage' or merely 'registered partnership' (registreret partnerskab), as the present same-sex civil union is called. Most likely, clergy would be allowed to decide for themselves whether to perform same-sex marriages or not. Some pastors and laypeople argue the issue could be resolved by separating legal marriage from religious marriage, as is the case in many other countries. In 2004, a poll among pastors said 60% were against church marriage of same-sex couples.

Similarly, there seems to be a political majority in favor of allowing same-sex marriage in the National Churches of Norway and Sweden; the Norwegian Parliament passed same-sex marriage legislation on June 11, 2008. In 2009 Sweden also changed from registered partnerships to same-sex marriage. The Church of Sweden, while now separate from the State, has since debated same-sex marriage; currently they allow blessings of same-sex couples in the church. In the Church of Sweden, a proposal to perform same-sex weddings was approved on October 22, 2009 by a majority of 176 of 249 voting members.

A 2011 poll of the Danish public found that 75.8% of Danes approve of same-sex marriages being performed in the church.

Gay and lesbian clergy exist, and this is considered a strictly personal issue.

Remarriage after divorce

A small number of ministers decline to re-marry divorce

Divorce

Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...

d persons, one of the few instances where a priest may turn down a ceremonial duty.

Thorkild Grosbøll case

From 2004 to 2005 rector Thorkild Grosbøll

Thorkild Grosbøll

Thorkild Grosbøll is a former parish priest in the Church of Denmark. In the early 2000s he achieved a lot of media attention in Denmark for publicly stating that he does not believe in an interventionist creator God....

was suspended for claiming he did not believe in ‘a creating and sustaining God’, but still wanted to serve as a priest.

Declaration Dominus Iesus

In 2000, the ecumenical department of the Church criticized the Roman Catholic declaration Dominus Iesus

Dominus Iesus

Dominus Iesus is a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It was approved in a Plenary meeting of the Congregation, and bears the signature of its then Prefect, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, and of its then Secretary, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, now...

and said that it had a destructive effect on ecumenical relations if one church deprives another church of the right to be called a Church and that it is just as destructive as if one Christian denies another Christian the right to be called a Christian.

Church and state

As head of the National Church, the monarch must belong to the same (article 6 of the Constitution). This applies to the whole royal house as well. As a result, the Prince Consort Henrik

Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark

Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark , is the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II.-Early life:Henrik was born in Talence, Gironde, France...

converted from Catholicism before marrying the Queen

Margrethe II of Denmark

in 1968, and Mary Donaldson also converted from Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism

Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...

before marrying Crown Prince Frederik

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...

in 2004.

Freedom of religion

With the Reformation in Denmark

Reformation in Denmark

The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century...

in 1536, Lutheran Christianity was established as the state religion. For the next century, in a time when religious war

Religious war

A religious war; Latin: bellum sacrum; is a war caused by, or justified by, religious differences. It can involve one state with an established religion against another state with a different religion or a different sect within the same religion, or a religiously motivated group attempting to...

s swept Europe, harsh persecution of other faiths followed (Lutheran orthodoxy

Lutheran Orthodoxy

Lutheran orthodoxy was an era in the history of Lutheranism, which began in 1580 from the writing of the Book of Concord and ended at the Age of Enlightenment. Lutheran orthodoxy was paralleled by similar eras in Calvinism and tridentine Roman Catholicism after the...

). Exceptions were granted only to foreign diplomats. For at least a period in the 16th century, small circles of clandestine Catholicism prevailed. From 1683, Roman Catholic, reformed and Jewish

Judaism

Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

congregations were allowed in the new town of Fredericia, the latter two also in Copenhagen. Non-Lutherans were also allowed in Friedrichstadt

Friedrichstadt

Friedrichstadt is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider approx. 12 km south of Husum. It was founded in 1621 by Dutch settlers...

and on Nordstrand

Nordstrand (Amt)

Nordstrand was an Amt in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Its seat was in Nordstrand. In January 2008, it was merged with the Ämter Friedrichstadt, Hattstedt and Treene to form the Amt Nordsee-Treene.The Amt Nordstrand consisted of the following...

in Slesvig and in Glückstadt

Glückstadt

Glückstadt is a town in the Steinburg district of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is located on the right bank of the Lower Elbe at the confluence of the small Rhin river, about northwest of Altona...

in Holstein

Holstein

Holstein is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is part of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of Germany....

. With the constitution of 1849, freedom of religion

Freedom of religion

Freedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...

was introduced in Denmark, but Lutheranism remained the state church.

Recognised and approved religions

A religious community does not need any state approval in order to enjoy the freedom of religion granted by the constitution. However, state-approved congregations (godkendte trossamfund) enjoy several privileges. They may conduct legal weddings, establish own cemeteries

Cemetery

A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...

, get residence permits for foreign priests, are exempt of corporate

Corporate tax

Many countries impose corporate tax or company tax on the income or capital of some types of legal entities. A similar tax may be imposed at state or lower levels. The taxes may also be referred to as income tax or capital tax. Entities treated as partnerships are generally not taxed at the...

and property tax

Property tax

A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...

, may apply for means from the state lottery fund, and members may tax-deduct membership fees and presents to the congregation.

Additionally, those congregations recognised by royal decree before 1970 (anerkendte trossamfund) may name and baptize children with legal effect, keep their own church registers and transcribe certificates on the basis of such registers (similar to the National Church, which is otherwise responsible for civil registry).

This legal distinction between "recognised" and "approved" communities remains, but is mainly a historical one. Communities recognised before 1970 includes only eight well-established Christian communities as well as the Jewish one. From 1970 until the 1990s only a few more Christian congregations were approved, but since 1998, a much more liberal practice has ensued. Since then, a board of independent experts decide about approval of new religious communities. The board includes professors of law, religious studies and theology and works under the Ministry of Justice, deliberately separate from the Ministry of Ecclesiastical affairs. It merely investigates whether the organisation fulfills basic definitions, such as having a doctrine, creed and cult, in order to be called a congregation of faith. In 2003, the approval of the Asatro organisation Forn Sidr caused some public debate.

As of 2008, there are more than 100 recognised and approved religious communities, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim/Alevi, Buddhist, Hindu, Mandeans, Baha'i and Asatro ones.

The Church of Scientology

Church of Scientology

The Church of Scientology is an organization devoted to the practice and the promotion of the Scientology belief system. The Church of Scientology International is the Church of Scientology's parent organization, and is responsible for the overall ecclesiastical management, dissemination and...

is not recognised as a religion in Denmark.

Lack of central authority

The church is in practice barred from having official positions in political or other matters, since it has no central bodies that could define such stances: nor a spiritual leader (such as an archbishop

Archbishop

An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

), nor a central assembly or synod

Synod

A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...

. Bishops have the last say on doctrinal questions within their respective dioceses. The Queen (in practice the Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs) and Parliament are the central bodies, but they usually keep to administrative matters and abstain from interfering with spiritual questions. Church laws are rarely changed, and, when it happens, only administrative matters are affected.

Firstly, these principles are generally believed to ensure a non-secterian, tolerant church where parishioners and priests enjoy a high degree of freedom to practise their own interpretation of Lutheran Christianity. Secondly, many Danish politicians and theologians claim that only this church-state-model will ensure the division of politics and religion, since the Church cannot interfere with political matters or even claim to speak with one voice on behalf of its members. They frequently discourage the term state church

State church

and argue it is, as its name states, the "people's church".

Article 66 of the Danish Constitution

Constitution of Denmark

The Constitutional Act of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark's constitution, or fundamental law. Originally verified in 1849, the last revision was signed on 5 June 1953 as "the existing law, for all to unswerving comply with, the Constitutional Act of Denmark".-Idea and structure:The main...

stipulates a church ordinance shall be laid down by law. This promissory clause dates back from the first Constitution of 1849 but was never put into practice. It was feared that splits could occur if a central authority were created.

In very few cases, politicians have devied from their traditional hands-off course in church doctrinal matters. In these cases, politicians have argued if they did not intervene in church politics, a split of the church might have been the result. See the issues of Female clergy and Same-sex marriage above.

Civil registration

The National Church basically conducts civil registration of birth

Birth

Birth is the act or process of bearing or bringing forth offspring. The offspring is brought forth from the mother. The time of human birth is defined as the time at which the fetus comes out of the mother's womb into the world...

s, death

Death

Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....

s, change of name etc. (vital records). The keeping of such kirkebøger ("church books") is a centuries-long tradition, dating from when the parish rectors were the only government representatives in rural areas. Recent protests from, notably, Baptists and some Muslims have led to a minor change. In 2005, Minister for Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs Bertel Haarder

Bertel Haarder

announced that the keeping of vital records for non-members would be transferred to a central governmental office, so that they are no longer obliged to report to the Church.

Economic support

§ 4 in the Constitution of Denmark

Constitution of Denmark

stipulates that "The Evangelical Lutheran Church is the National Church and shall be supported by the state". On the other hand, § 68 ensures that no one are obliged to pay personal contributions to any religion other than their own. It has been questioned how these two principles can co-exist. Non-members do not pay church tax

Church tax

, but an additional state subsidiary accounts for 12% of the Church's income. This means every citizen, even a non-member, contributes with an average of 130 kroner annually (23 USD). In addition, the bishops are high-ranking officials whose salary is fully paid by the state. In return, certain public tasks are carried out by the Church, such as conducting vital record

Vital record

Vital records are records of life events kept under governmental authority, including birth certificates, marriage licenses, and death certificates. In some jurisdictions, vital records may also include records of civil unions or domestic partnerships....

s registries and managing graveyard

Graveyard

A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...

s which are open to all denominations.

Separation of church and state

The debate about separation of church and state

Separation of church and state

The concept of the separation of church and state refers to the distance in the relationship between organized religion and the nation state....

emerges occasionally in Denmark. The current relation is supported by most political parties. It has been challenged for decades by the left wing and by atheists

Atheism

Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...

; more recently also by some ideological liberalists

Liberalism

Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...

and some members of free church

Free church

es.

Proponents for a separation argue the state church violates equality of religions

Freedom of religion

and the principle of the secular state

Secular state

A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state or country purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting neither religion nor irreligion. A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion, and claims to avoid preferential...

. Proponents for the current system argue that membership is voluntary, that the National Church has ancient historical roots, and that the Church fulfills certain administrative tasks for the state. They also argue it would be difficult to decide whether church-owned real estate should be handed over to the state or not. The former possessions of the Catholic Church were ceded to the Crown at the reformation in 1536

Reformation in Denmark

.

According to a poll

Opinion poll

conducted by the free daily MetroXpress in April 2007, 52% wished to split church and state, 30% were against, and 18% undecided. Minister for Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs Bertel Haarder

Bertel Haarder

, spoke out against a split: "Church and state will be separated when more than half of the population are no longer members. N.F.S. Grundtvig said so, and I support that." The oppositional Social Democrats also argued against a split, but said there should be more equality between denominations, possibly by a state subsidiary paid to other approved religious communities as well. Immigrant groups and the Muslim

Islam

Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

society are divided on the issue, as some think official Christianity is much more preferable to a purely secular state.

Pure equality of religions exists only in a minority of Western Europe

Western Europe

Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...

an countries. Four other Nordic countries (Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

, Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

, and The Faroe Islands), England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

and Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

have official state church

State church

es, while Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

has an officially recognised "national church" without being connecting to the State. Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

, Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

and Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

have official ties to Catholicism (concordat

Concordat

A concordat is an agreement between the Holy See of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state on religious matters. Legally, they are international treaties. They often includes both recognition and privileges for the Catholic Church in a particular country...

). Further there are varying degrees of public funding of the church in Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, Luxembourg

Luxembourg

Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

− even after the Church of Sweden

Church of Sweden

The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...

became independent in 2000 − and in most cantons of Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

Other current and former state and national churches in the Nordic Evangelical-lutheran tradition

Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...

- Svenska kyrkan
Church of Norway
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...

- Den norske kirke
National Church of Iceland - Þjóðkirkjan
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the national church of Finland. The church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion....

- Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko (Swedish: Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland)
Church of the Faroe Islands
Church of the Faroe Islands
The Church of the Faroe Islands was a diocese of the Lutheran Church of Denmark until it became independent on 29 July 2007, as the smallest of the world's few remaining state churches....

- Hin føroyska fólkakirkjan

Sources

Freedom of religion and religious communities in Denmark, Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs
Members of the Church
Church tax
State fundings to the National Church

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.

Organization

Parishes

Voluntary congregations

Parish optionality

Membership

Terms

Faith and church attendance

Doctrine

Liturgy

Female clergy

Same-sex blessings

Same-sex marriage

Remarriage after divorce

Thorkild Grosbøll case

Declaration Dominus Iesus

Church and state

Freedom of religion

Recognised and approved religions

Lack of central authority

Civil registration

Economic support

Separation of church and state

Other current and former state and national churches in the Nordic Evangelical-lutheran tradition

See also

Sources

External links