The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-01-01
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN
NORWAY AND SWEDEN
The Growth of >Catholicity in
Northern Europe is Rather
Slowin Consequence of the
Intolerance of Sweden---
The Kingdom of Norway is
More Liberal and Catholics
Fare Far Better Under Its
Democratic Laws.

The government Of Norway is q
constitutional monarchy. Its king,
Haakon VII, born August 3, 1872, was
the second son of Charles, the pres
ent king Of Denmark. He was elected
king of Norway on Nov. Is, 1905, at
the time when that country separated
from it's union with Sweden, a union
which had existed under the rule of
the Swedish king ever since 1914. The
popular government is carried on by
two parliamentary houses called the
Storthing. The Storthing is divided
into the Lagting, sort of upper house,
and the Odelsting, which is made up
Of three-fourths of the members of
the Storthing, says the Boston Pilot.
The population of Norway is about
2,2b0,000, Of whom only 1,600 are Cath
olics. For this little flock there are 25
priests with Is churches and seven
chapels. Norway forms vicariate
apostolic, its incumbent being Mgr.
Jean Baptist Fallis, born at Harlingen
in the diocese Of Luxemburg, on Nov.
8. 1874, who was made vicar-apostolic
Of Norway on March Is, 1892. He re-
sides at Christiana.
While one feels consoled for the
generous character Of the, laws of
Norway in. regard to Catholic liberties,
nevertheless Y the existence of = the
Sd siisS sbss Sc with many dfaiculties-
principally because of certain .popu-,
lar oppssitieh.' its increase fspm year
to year is so slight as Is. be. hardly
peroeptible. Yet in the various works
of charity, instruction and association,
the Catholics Of Norway present results
far in advance. Of their numbers. The
hospitals Of Norway are models of or
ganization, and the nuns have taught
the Norwegians many important meth
DDS for the care Of the sick. In fact,
more than one Protestant has written
in glowing terms recommending the
hospital Sisters of st. Elizabeth to the
gratitude of his compatriots and CO.
religionists, and urging them to display
a generous spirit whenever these good
ladies should. go forth in quest Of
aims.
Whoever knows the country and its
deep seated prejudices against Catho-
licity will easily comprehend the value
of such testimonial A Catholic, and
especially q monk, excites a veritable
physical horror in people nourished
upon legends and believing that they
owe their culture to Professionalism
alone, though the fact is that civiliza-
ton in Norway was proportionally
more advanced before the Reformation
than it has been since. The City
of Trondhjem was then a place of pill
grimage for people from England, Ice
land, and all Scandinavia. AS many
as twenty converts surrounded the for
est of st. Olaf. Cistertian monasteries
were founded in the widest districts OF
the country, especially at Hovedo, in
the Fiord of Christiania, as well as in
the Lyse Fiord, where their ruins may
be seen even today. Scandinavia was
in communication with the very centre
of Europe as early as the beginning OF
the twelfth century.
The Reformation established bar
rier between Norway and the rest OF
the world, which was only overturned
by liberalism and free thought. Profit
ing by that anticonservative current
the Catholics established Themselves al
Christiania, at Bergen, and at sucf
other points as were practicable. Tt
obtain recognition they brought the
nuns, who, by assisting the sick ant
caring for the children, gained the af
lection of this hostile people. There Il
today a good feeling among the edu
Gated classes, many of whom send thei
daughters to schools of the nuns. II
Christiania, there are forty-three Sis
ters of the Institute of st. Joseph
twenty-five hospital nuns; three in :
home for convalescents, and thirt!
novices. The sisters Of st. Elizabeth
established in Norway for eighteel
years, are fourteen in number. If tt
these we add the Franciscan nuns w
xhall find the number of religious ladie
1t least one hundred and fifty.
The educational system of Norway
might serve as model for the imita-
ton Of other nations. The Catholic
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