Lars Anders Arborelius OCD (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈânːdɛʂ arbʊˈrěːlɪɵs]; born 24 September 1949) is a Swedish Catholic cardinal. He has been Bishop of Stockholm since 1998. Pope Francis made him a cardinal, the first ever from Sweden and Scandinavia, on 28 June 2017.
Anders Arborelius | |
|---|---|
| Cardinal Bishop of Stockholm | |
 Arborelius in 2019 | |
| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Stockholm |
| Appointed | 17 November 1998 |
| Installed | 29 December 1998 |
| Predecessor | Hubertus Brandenburg |
| Other post(s) | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria degli Angeli (2017–present) |
| Previous post(s) | President of the Scandinavian Bishops Conference (2005-2015) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 8 September 1979 by Hubertus Brandenburg |
| Consecration | 29 December 1998 by Hubertus Brandenburg |
| Created cardinal | 28 June 2017 by Pope Francis |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lars Anders Arborelius 24 September 1949 |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Motto | In Laudem Gloriae |
| Coat of arms | .svg) |
Early life and ordination
editArborelius was born on 24 September 1949 in Sorengo,[1] Switzerland, to Swedish parents, and grew up in Lund in Scania.[2] He was raised as a Lutheran Protestant and always showed a lot of interest in the contemplative life, saying, "I always had this longing for a life of prayer and silent adoration."[3] After a year-and-a-half-long process, he observed, "Truth has been given to me through the Catholic faith,” and converted to Catholicism at the age of 20.[4]
At first, following his conversion, he desired to be a diocesan priest, but, after reading Saint Thérèse of Lisieux's autobiography (The Story of a Soul), he wanted to be a member of the Discalced Carmelites.[4] In 1971, two years after he became Catholic, he entered the Carmelite order at the Norraby monastery located near the town of Rydebäck in Southern Sweden.[1] In 1977, Arborelius took his perpetual vows in Bruges, Belgium, where he then obtained his degree in philosophy and theology. He also studied modern languages at Lund University.[1] After obtaining his doctoral degree at the Pontifical Theological Faculty Teresianum in Rome, he was ordained as a priest in Malmö on 8 September 1979.[1][2]
Bishop
editOn 17 November 1998, Pope John Paul II appointed Arborelius Bishop of Stockholm, and he was consecrated on 29 December 1998 by Bishop Hubert Brandenburg.[2] When he succeeded Brandenburg as the Bishop of Stockholm—the only Catholic diocese in Sweden, comprising the entire country[5]—he became the first ethnic Catholic Swedish Bishop since the Protestant Reformation.[1][2][3] Most Catholics in Sweden since the Reformation, particularly among the clergy, have been immigrants or of immigrant descent from all over Europe (but especially Eastern Europe) and from the Middle East, as well as Arabs and Armenians of various Catholic rites.[2][5] Additionally, there are converts from various backgrounds, including some Protestant ministers, who have become part of the Catholic community in his diocese.[5]
Arborelius took part in The Indian Priest (2015), a documentary film about Indian missionary priest Raphael Curian.[citation needed]
Cardinal
editOn 21 May 2017, Pope Francis announced he would make Arborelius a cardinal, the first Swedish national ever to hold the position; including during Sweden's 500-year Catholic history before the Swedish reformation.[6][7] Arborelius became a cardinal on 28 June 2017.[8] He said he thought Francis was recognizing Sweden's role in accepting immigrants and promoting interdenominational dialogue.[9]
Swedish news magazine Fokus named him "Swede of the Year" for 2017. It said that he had been "part of Swedish public debate" since 1998, that he brought "a fearless attitude" to his role in "secular and otherwise Lutheran" society, and "plays an essential role in bringing native Swedes and immigrant Swedes together".[10]
Pope Francis made him a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity on 23 December 2017.[11] The pope also named him a member of the Congregation for the Clergy on 13 July 2019,[12] and of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches on 6 August 2019.[13] On 6 August 2020, Francis named him a member of the Secretariat for the Economy,[14] and on 13 July 2022, a member of the Dicastery for Bishops.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Announcement of Consistory on 28 June for the creation of new cardinals, 21.05.2017". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e Maria Teresa Pontara Pederiva (29 May 2017). "Anders Arborelius, the Carmelite bishop who believes in young people". LaStampa.it. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ a b Carol Glatz (29 May 2017). "First Swedish bishop since the Reformation to be made a cardinal". Catholic Herald. Archived from the original on 9 August 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
- ^ a b Jared Litke (15 December 2001). "An Interview with Bishop Anders Arborelius". University of St. Thomas, Minnesota. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ a b c Angelo Stagnaro (9 August 2016). "Catholics Gain Toehold in Sweden — 500 Years After Luther". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on 28 August 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ Mattsson, Anna (21 May 2017). "Anders Arborelius förste svensk att utses till kardinal". Expressen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
- ^ Coeli, Regina (21 May 2017). "Papa Francesco annuncia la nomina di cinque nuovi cardinali". RaiNews (in Italian). Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
- ^ Brockhaus, Hannah (28 June 2017). "Pope Francis to Five New Cardinals: Jesus 'Calls You to Serve Like Him and With Him'". National Catholic Register. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ "Pope will elevate Sweden's sole bishop to College of Cardinals". Crux. Catholic News Service. 26 May 2017. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Swede of the year: Anders Arborelius". Fokus. 15 December 2017. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 23.12.2017" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 23 December 2017. Archived from the original on 30 May 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 13.07.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 13 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Resignations and Appointments, 06.07.2019" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 6 August 2019. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Pope chooses six women as lay experts for Council for the Economy". Vatican News. 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 3 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
- ^ "Rinunce e nomine, 13.07.2022" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 13 July 2022. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
External links
edit
- "Arborelius Card. Anders, OCD". Holy See Press Office. Archived from the original on 4 September 2017. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- Anders Arborelius at Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
- Presentation of Anders Arborelius at the website of the Catholic diocese of Stockholm
- "Our Bishop", a page of letters from Arborelius Archived 3 August 2015 at the Wayback Machine at the website of the Catholic diocese of Stockholm (in Swedish)
- McElwee, Joshua J. (8 December 2017). "Sweden's Cardinal Arborelius praises liturgical translation reform". National Catholic Reporter. Retrieved 8 December 2017.