RT Article
T1 The Roman Catholic Church of Norway and migration challenges
JF International journal for the study of the Christian church
VO 19
IS 1
SP 17
OP 29
A1 Hovdelien, Olav
LA English
PB Routledge
YR 2019
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1669451534
AB Ever since its re-establishment in Norway in 1843, the Roman Catholic Church has grown steadily. On 1 January 2017, the church had a total membership of approximately 150,000. The reason for the latest, and certainly largest, wave of Catholic migrants to settle in Norway is labour migration resulting from the eastward expansion of the EU in 2004, when Poland and Lithuania joined. About half the Catholic population of Norway originates from these two countries. This article focuses on the following research question: How does the Roman Catholic Church in Norway, represented by sisters in religious communities, priests and ecclesiastical employees, respond to the large influx of Catholic migrants to Norway? The study is based on a qualitative survey consisting of semi-structured interviews with 10 informants, all religious sisters, priests or ecclesiastical employees. Although some informants admit that the strong growth resulting from migration has posed problems, such as tendencies to form 'parallel congregations' based on ethnic origin, most expressed a positive view of this influx of migrants and of the future of the Catholic Church in Norway.
K1 Christianity in late-modernity
K1 Dominicans
K1 European Union
K1 Johannes Olav Fallize
K1 Norway
K1 Robert D. Putnam
K1 Roman Catholic Church
K1 Integration
K1 Migration
K1 parallel church congregations
DO 10.1080/1474225X.2019.1580953