John Willem Gran
Encyclopedia
Willem Nicolaysen Gran (born April 5, 1920 in Bergen
; died March 20, 2008 in Paris
) was the bishop of the Oslo Catholic diocese from 1963 to 1983.
.
During World War II
Gran did military service, first stationed in London
and then in peacetime he was posted in Norway, where in 1945-1946 he was a liaison officer at Akershus Fortress
. During 1946-7, after discharge, he worked in the film industry as assistant director on Operation Swallow, which documented the Norwegian heavy water sabotage
.
Gran felt an attraction to the monastic life, and in November 1949 he entered the Cistercian Trappist
monastery on Caldey Island
off the coast of Pembrokeshire
in Wales
. He took the name John. After theological studies at the monastery of Scourmont
in Belgium
, he was ordained a priest in Caldey Abbey in 1957 by Bishop Theodor Suhr OSB
from Copenhagen. Two years later he was sent to Rome for further theological studies and earned a licentiate. From 1960 to 1963 he served in the Order in Rome as a financial administrator. On 27 December 1962 Pope John XXIII named him Coadjutor-Bishop (Assistant Bishop) with the right of succession in Oslo
, and titular Bishop of Rafi. On 24 March 1963 he was ordained in St Olav's cathedral in Oslo. He was appointed as Bishop of Oslo after Jacob Mangers on 13 December 1964, and was in office until 26 November 1983, when he resigned. As the newly appointed bishop, he was the only Norwegian to participate in the Second Vatican Council
in Rome 1963-1965. Gran was a member of the Pontifical Secretariat for Christian Unity
until 1970, and a member of the Pontifical Secretariat for Dialogue with Non-believers
until 1984. In 1984 he was appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav.
In his later years he lived most of the time on Corsica
. Bishop Gran died on 20 March 2008 in Paris, and was buried in Bergen
on 3 April 2008. He was the first Catholic bishop to be buried in Bergen since 1522, when Bishop Andor Ketilsson was buried there.
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
; died March 20, 2008 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was the bishop of the Oslo Catholic diocese from 1963 to 1983.
Life
Gran traveled Europe at the end of the 1930s, with plans to take a degree in opera. When German forces occupied Norway in 1940, he was stuck in Italy and here he met active young Catholics. Though baptised at birth in the Norwegian Protestant Church, he had regarded himself as an atheist, considering Buddhist practice for a brief period. Gran converted to Roman Catholicism in 1941, and was confirmed in St. Peter's BasilicaSt. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Gran did military service, first stationed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and then in peacetime he was posted in Norway, where in 1945-1946 he was a liaison officer at Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress
Akershus Fortress or Akershus Castle is a medieval castle that was built to protect Oslo, the capital of Norway. It has also been used as a prison.- Construction :...
. During 1946-7, after discharge, he worked in the film industry as assistant director on Operation Swallow, which documented the Norwegian heavy water sabotage
Norwegian heavy water sabotage
The Norwegian heavy water sabotage was a series of actions undertaken by Norwegian saboteurs during World War II to prevent the German nuclear energy project from acquiring heavy water , which could be used to produce nuclear weapons...
.
Gran felt an attraction to the monastic life, and in November 1949 he entered the Cistercian Trappist
TRAPPIST
TRAPPIST is Belgian robotic telescope in Chile which came online in 2010, and is an acronym for TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope, so named in homage to Trappist beer produced in the Belgian region. Situated high in the Chilean mountains at La Silla Observatory, it is actually...
monastery on Caldey Island
Caldey Island
Caldey Island lies south of Tenby in Pembrokeshire, Wales.The island is home to a small village, but is best known for its monastery. Caldey Island is separated from the mainland by the Caldey Sound which is 1 km to 2 km wide between Caldey Island and the coast of Pembrokeshire...
off the coast of Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire
Pembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He took the name John. After theological studies at the monastery of Scourmont
Scourmont Abbey
Scourmont Abbey is a Trappist monastery on the Scourmont plateau, in the village of Forges which is part of Chimay in the province of Hainaut, Belgium)...
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...
, he was ordained a priest in Caldey Abbey in 1957 by Bishop Theodor Suhr OSB
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
from Copenhagen. Two years later he was sent to Rome for further theological studies and earned a licentiate. From 1960 to 1963 he served in the Order in Rome as a financial administrator. On 27 December 1962 Pope John XXIII named him Coadjutor-Bishop (Assistant Bishop) with the right of succession in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, and titular Bishop of Rafi. On 24 March 1963 he was ordained in St Olav's cathedral in Oslo. He was appointed as Bishop of Oslo after Jacob Mangers on 13 December 1964, and was in office until 26 November 1983, when he resigned. As the newly appointed bishop, he was the only Norwegian to participate in the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
in Rome 1963-1965. Gran was a member of the Pontifical Secretariat for Christian Unity
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council which met intermittently from 1962–1965.Pope John XXIII wanted the Catholic Church to engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement...
until 1970, and a member of the Pontifical Secretariat for Dialogue with Non-believers
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue is a dicastery of the Roman Curia, erected by Pope Paul VI on 19 May 1964 as the Secretariat for Non-Christians, and renamed by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988....
until 1984. In 1984 he was appointed Commander of the Order of St. Olav.
In his later years he lived most of the time on Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. Bishop Gran died on 20 March 2008 in Paris, and was buried in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
on 3 April 2008. He was the first Catholic bishop to be buried in Bergen since 1522, when Bishop Andor Ketilsson was buried there.
Further reading
- Gran, John Willem (2004) A Hand on My Shoulder: Memoirs of John Willem Gran Cistercian Publication