The Irish standard., 1891-02-28
CATHOLICISM IN NORWAY.
The Rise and Fall of the Catholic
Religion in This Northern
Land.
ST. ANSGAR AND HIS WORK.
Olaf HaraIdson, While King of Norway,
Died a Martyr for the
Faith.


The following article on Catholicism
i'm Norway, recently published ia the
Boston Republic, was written by Geo.
A. Arctander, of Minneapolis:
The great truths Of the Catholic re
ligion did not reach the distant shores
of Norway till very late date: indeed
not until that religion had been pro,
fessed aud practised in southern and
western Europe for several hundred
years. In fact, one Thousand years OF
the Christian era had elapsed before we
hear Of any serious attempts to intro
duce the Catholic religion into Norway.
The celebrated "Viking Age" OF
Morse history lies between the period
when Paganism was tottering to it's
downfall and that which marks the vic
tory Of Christianity, and these Vikings
were the frat to bring any knowledge
of the Christian religion to Norway.
The Vikings were brave Morse chief
talns who, with select band of war
riOrs. daring and reckless as themselves,
set out from their native shores and
sailed to foreign countries, where they
landed and challenged the Inhabitants
to combat, and as rule defeated them,
conquering their castles and cities and
plundering them of everything they
could find of value, and returning home
laden with spOils,
The Vikings crossed the North Sea
and, landing on the coasts Of England,
numerically plundered chat fourishipg
land. AS proof of the awe in which
the inhabitants of England held these
Vikings, we find in the public prayers
offered np IN this churches Of England
at that time the following: Libera nos,
Domino, furore Normannorum-~-De.
liver us, O Lord, from the fury of the
NOrthmen."
These Vikings also visited the north
ern coast Of France, where they founded
a colony which even to this DAY bears
the name Of Normandy; and Of their
descendants in that country was Will
siam the Conqueror, who became mas
ter of England in 1865. We also find
them sailing up the great rivers Of
France and Germany and laying siege
to such cities as Paris and AK la
Chapelle. In their wild course they
swept along the western shores Of
France and Spain, through the strait Of
Gibraltar into the Mediterranean sea.
and founded colonies in Southern Italy
and Sicily, where one of their descend
ants was Robert of Normandy, who
took such prominent part in the first
crusade.
The people with whom these Vikings
in their warlike expeditions came in
contact were all Christians who had
professed the Catholic faith for several
hundred years. Thus these fierce war
riors became acq uainted with the Cath
ollc religion. The grand and solemn
character of the Church, the process
sions of bishops and priests in their re-
splendent vestments, the lofty and in
spring beauties OF it's affairs, the mag
nificence of the churches, the clouds of
aromatic incense ascending to heaven
all these things that make Catholic
service so impressive. did not tail to
make powerful impression on the minds
of these wild and warlike Vikings.
Although the mild and peaceful doc
trines of the Catholic religion did not
meet quick response in the hearts OF
these rowing adventurers, we find them
on their return to their native land de-.
scribing IN glowing terms all they had
seen in foreign climes--the grand cere-
monies Of the Church they had wit
messed, and the new and beautiful re-
iigion OF which they had heard so much.
And thus, through these wild, rowing
warriors, the earliest knowledge Of the
Catholic religion reached NORWAY, and,
though we find out few conversions to
the Catholic faith among them. two OF
these Vikings, who had embraced the
faith and afterwards became Kings Of
Norway, were instrumental in estab-
fishing the faith Of Christ in th
try.
About the wear 800 the pi0us and zeal
GUS monk ST. Ansgar was sent from the
monastery Of Corvey, in France. to
preach the Catholic faith to the N Orth
men. This holy man, who is styled the
Apostle OF the North, preached the faith
in Denmark and Sweden, and built
several churches there. but he never
came to Norway. After laboring zeal
ously for Ave years the Holy See ap-
pointed him archblshop 0f HamburR
and placed under his jarisdiction the
whole northern part of Germany and