BISHOP OF REYKJAVIK (CATHOLIC)

Contents

The Christianization of Iceland

Passage to Lutheranism

Catholic Revival

Catholic Bishops

Sources

The Christianization of Iceland

The Norsemen who settled in Iceland from the end of the ninth century were pagans; and it was one of the functions of their chieftains, called goði, to conduct religious services. But, as the Icelanders made frequent journeys, and often to distant lands, they were soon brought into contact with Christian populations, and thus prepared in some sense for religious change. The first native Christian missionary was one Stefnir Þorgilsson (996), commissioned by King Olaf Trygvesson. The somewhat abrupt methods which characterized his religious zeal brought him at first but a small following, but about the year 1000, Gissur and Hjalti, two Icelanders exiled from the country returned from Norway Christians, and soon obtained a decree from the Althing whereby pagan practices were suppressed, and the people compelled to accept baptism. A real conversion of the nation was only achieved after long and laborious efforts and the careful instruction of the people. The names of the missionaries and of their bishops are only known in part and there is no sure information concerning their work.
It must at any rate have been fruitful of results, for only fifty years later (1056) the country was given a bishop of its own, suffragan to the Archbishop of Hamburg, with his see at Skálholt, while in 1106 a bishopric was erected at Hólar. These two dioceses were first under the Archbishop of Lund, later (1152) under that of Trondheim, and until the middle of the 16th century were in close communion with Rome.
The bishops were selected by the Alþingi, but the nominees were consecrated by the metropolitan. Many of their prelates were distinguished for their virtue and wisdom. The priests of Iceland frequently went to French and English universities for studies. Many among the clergy and laity made pilgrimages to shrines of both East and West. Canon law was in force at an early period (1053).
Under the influence of the Church the old laws (Gragas) were written down in 1117, but civil strife led to recognition of Norwegian hegemony. Upon the death of Haakon VI of Norway in 1380, his son Olaf, who since 1376 had ruled Denmark, ascended the Norwegian throne and thus effected a centuries-long union of Denmark and Iceland which later facilitated the spread of Lutheranism. The Icelandic Parliament, the Althing, was not finally suppressed until 1800. After an interval the process began which led to complete independence in 1942.
After Christianization there sprang up a number of monasteries, such as the Benedictine Abbeys of Thingeirar, Munkathvera, Kirkjubaer, and the Augustinian convents of Thykkviboer, Flatey, Vioey, Moeoruvellir, and Skrioa. These religious houses were centres of learning and literature and were not foreign to Icelandic culture. The works of literature were of both a historical and a religious character, including poetry. Attempts were made as early as the middle of the 13th century to translate the Bible into the vernacular. There was a numerous secular clergy, with some 300 were distributed among 220 churches and artistic levels of church decoration and religious artisanship was high.
This positive situation began to decline when Iceland was affected in the beginning of the fifteenth century by internal unrest, factional conflicts, earthquakes, and epidemics which struck men and beasts alike. About this period, also, religious life left much to be desired. Certain bishops like Árni Ólafsson (1413-30) and Jón Gereksson (1430-33), of Skálholt, neglected their flocks or made themselves odious by their acts of tyranny.

Passage to Lutheranism

In the sixteenth century this unhappy situation continued, with the otherwise estimable Jón Arason (1524-50), Bishop of Holar, gave scandal by disregarding the law of celibacy. The conflict which lasted for a number of years between Jón Arason and the last Bishop of Skalholt, Oejmundr Pálsson (1520-42) was a particularly unfortunate figure.
In this context two local men, Oddur Gotskalksson and Gissur Einarsson, became disciples of Luther and soon secured followers, particularly after King Christian III of Denmark and Norway declared himself for Lutheranism and began to enforce the change in his kingdom. The imprisonment of the Bishop of Skalholt left only Jón Arason to resist in the name of Catholicism. Though he succeeded for a time, he was betrayed and executed on November 7, 1550. With the bishops gone, a slow transition in religious matters was inevitable. Though Latin remained the official language of the Lutheran Church of Iceland until the year 1686, and a good part of the former Catholic terminology and other externals were retained, the doctrinal substance was obviously different. Moreover, the rigorous laws of Denmark, which were also in force in Iceland, prohibited under severe penalties the celebration of Catholic services. For more than three hundred years no Catholic priest was permitted to set foot on that soil.

Catholic Revival

The Catholic Church established on December 8, 1854 a jurisdiction under the name ''Prefecture Apostolic of the North Pole'' that included Iceland. Several years later, in 1859, two French priests called Bernard and Baudoin settled in Iceland. They met with a difficult reception and soon Bernard left the country, while Baudoin persevered until 1875. On August 17 1869 Pope Pius IX had set up ''Prefecture Apostolic of Denmark'', to which Iceland had passed. Freedom of worship was enacted in 1874. After an interval Catholic missionary efforts were resumed, with church, school and even a hospital run by nuns by the turn of the century.
The former jurisdiction became a ''Vicariate Apostolic of Denmark'' on March 15, 1892. Thereafter the island territory became for the Catholic Church an independent unit, first as the ''Prefecture Apostolic of Iceland'' on June 23 1923 and then, not many years later, on June 6, 1929, as the ''Vicariate Apostolic of Iceland''. It was on October 18, 1968 that this entity matured into the ''Diocese of Reykjavik''. Even though the Catholic population remains small as a percentage of the overall population and in absolute numbers, it grew from about 450 in 1950 to 5,590 in 2004, during which time the total population grew from 140,000 to 290,000.

Catholic Bishops

The following most recent heads of the Catholic Church in Iceland were bishops:
''Vicars Apostolic of Iceland''

★ Martino Meulenberg, S.M.M.; June 12 1923 - 1941 (died);

★ Johánnes Gunnarsson, S.M.M.; February 23 1942 - 1967 (resigned);
''Bishops of Reykjavik''

★ Hendrik Hubert Frehen, S.M.M.; October 18 1968 - October 31 1986 (died)

★ Alfred James Jolson, S.J. December 12 1987 - March 21 1994 (died)

★ Joannes Baptist Matthijs Gijsen May 24 1996 - onwards.

Sources

''Annuario Pontificio 2004''
See also http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/diocese/dreyk.html#hist