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The Catholic Church in Denmark () is part of the worldwide
Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, under the spiritual leadership of the
Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
in
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. The
Diocese of Copenhagen The Diocese of Copenhagen (Danish: ''Københavns Stift'') is a diocese within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. The Bishop of Copenhagen is currently Peter Skov-Jakobsen, who replaced Erik Normann Svendsen in 2009. The main cathedral of ...
covers the whole of the country, as well as the
Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ) (alt. the Faroes) are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and an autonomous territory of the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the islands have a populat ...
and
Greenland Greenland is an autonomous territory in the Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark. It is by far the largest geographically of three constituent parts of the kingdom; the other two are metropolitan Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Citizens of Greenlan ...
, and as such is one of the geographically largest Catholic dioceses by area in the world. Catholicism was the state religion of Demark from around the 10th century until the
Reformation in Denmark The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
when Catholicism was banned. Full religious freedom was introduced through the Constitution of 1849, allowing the Church to re-emerge. As of 2022, the number of Catholics in
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, a predominantly
Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
country, is increasing. Catholics account for less than 1% of the population.


History


Christianization

The first recorded Christian missionary to preach in Denmark was
Willibrord Willibrord (; 658 – 7 November AD 739) was an Anglo-Saxons, Anglo-Saxon monk, bishop, and missionary. He became the first Diocese of Utrecht (695–1580), Bishop of Utrecht in what is now the Netherlands, dying at Echternach in Luxembourg, and ...
, who around 710 unsuccessfully attempted to convert King
Ongendus Ongendus (perhaps Angantyr in Danish) was a king of the Danes, reigning c. 710, the first Danish king known from contemporary literature. Historical background He was presumably king of a stronger and more unified Denmark that rose at the ...
. In 831,
Pope Gregory IV Pope Gregory IV (; died 25 January 844) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from October 827 to his death on 25 January 844. His pontificate was notable for the papacy’s attempts to intervene in the quarrels between Emperor L ...
appointed
Ansgar Ansgar (8 September 801 – 3 February 865), also known as Anskar, Saint Ansgar, Saint Anschar or Oscar, was Archbishopric of Bremen, Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen in the northern part of the Kingdom of the East Franks. Ansgar became known as the ...
to oversee the mission in the Nordics. He was designated a
papal legate 300px, A woodcut showing Henry II of England greeting the Pope's legate. A papal legate or apostolic legate (from the ancient Roman title '' legatus'') is a personal representative of the Pope to foreign nations, to some other part of the Catho ...
and the archbishop of the newly created Archbishopric of Hamburg. Danish
vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...
sacked
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
in 845, forcing Ansgar to flee to
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
. The seat of the archbishopric moved with him and the Archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen was then responsible for the church's mission in the Nordic region for the next 150 years. Ansgar died in 865. Within his lifetime he managed to establish but two churches in Denmark: one in
Hedeby Hedeby (, Old Norse: ''Heiðabýr'', German: ''Haithabu'') was an important Danish Viking Age (8th to the 11th centuries) trading settlement near the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, now in the Schleswig-Flensburg district of Schleswig ...
and the other in
Ribe Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,367 (2025). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged E ...
. It is difficult to determine whether his efforts made a lasting impact on the Christianization of Denmark, given their strong and at times violent rejection by Medieval vikings. Christianity began to spread in Denmark in the mid-10th century. Mission dioceses were established in Jutland around 948. Legend has it that in 960, a missionary named Poppa or Poppo converted
Harald Bluetooth Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson (; , died c. 985/86) was a king of Denmark and Norway. The son of King Gorm the Old and Thyra Dannebod, Harald ruled as king of Denmark from c. 958 – c. 986, introduced Christianization of Denmark, Christianity to D ...
after holding red-hot iron without being burned. However, Harald did not officially convert to Catholicism until after a peace agreement with the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
. A diocese was established in
Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...
around 965. Around 1022,
Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...
became the
episcopal seat A cathedral is a church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations with an episcop ...
of
Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...
and in 1060
Lund Lund (, ;"Lund"
(US) and
) is a city in the provinces of Sweden, province of Scania, southern Swed ...
became the episcopal seat of
Skåneland Skåneland is a region on the southern Scandinavian Peninsula. It includes the Sweden, Swedish provinces of Sweden, provinces of Blekinge, Halland, and Skåne, Scania. The Denmark, Danish island of Bornholm is traditionally also included.For pop ...
. Bishop Adalbert of Hamburg-Bremen divided the kingdom between eight
dioceses In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
, which remained unchanged until the 19th century.
Canute IV Canute IV ( – 10 July 1086), later known as Canute the Holy () or Saint Canute (''Sankt Knud''), was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the ...
, who reigned from 1080 to 1086, strongly supported the bishopric of Lund. Under the reign of Canute's brother, Eric I, Lund became the seat of a new archbishopric for the Nordic region, independent from the bishop of Hamburg-Bremen. In 1152 Norway received its own independent diocese, followed by Sweden in 1164, making the Diocese of Lund the seat of the Catholic Church in Denmark. The 12th century saw a number of
monastic orders Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially ...
established in Denmark, namely
Benedictines The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...
,
Cistercians The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
,
Premonstratensians The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in United Kingdom, Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their religious habit, habit), is a religious order of cano ...
,
Augustinians Augustinians are members of several religious orders that follow the Rule of Saint Augustine, written about 400 A.D. by Augustine of Hippo. There are two distinct types of Augustinians in Catholic religious orders dating back to the 12th–13 ...
, and Johannites.
Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...
and Dominican orders were established in the 13th century. The reign of
Margaret I Margaret I may refer to: * Margaret I, Countess of Flanders (died 1194) * Margaret I of Scotland (1283–1290), usually known as the Maid of Norway * Margaret I, Countess of Holland (1311–1356), Countess of Hainaut and Countess of Holland * Ma ...
saw the establishment of orders of
Carmelites The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel (; abbreviated OCarm), known as the Carmelites or sometimes by synecdoche known simply as Carmel, is a mendicant order in the Catholic Church for both men and women. Histo ...
and
Bridgettines The Bridgettines, or Birgittines, formally known as the Order of the Most Holy Saviour (; abbreviated OSsS), is a monastic religious order of the Catholic Church founded by Saint Birgitta (Bridget of Sweden) in 1344 and approved by Pope Urban V ...
.
Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV (or Xystus IV, ; born Francesco della Rovere; (21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 until his death in 1484. His accomplishments as pope included ...
gave Denmark permission to establish its own university in Copenhagen in 1479. The period between the mid-10th century and the late 11th saw wooden churches erected across the kingdom. In the late 11th and 12th centuries many of these structures were replaced with stone churches. A large number of churches were erected in the 15th century, which are characterised by brightly colored
frescoes Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
.


Protestant Reformation

Beginning in 1526, Christian congregations without ties to the Catholic Church began to form in Denmark, predominantly in larger cities. Through the
Count's Feud The Count's Feud (), sometimes referred to as the Count's War, was a Danish war of succession occurring from 1534 to 1536, which gave rise to the Reformation in Denmark. In the broader international context, it was a part of the European wars of ...
,
Christian III Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...
came to power in 1536 and implemented the
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
across the Kingdom. As a result, all of the Catholic Church's properties were seized by the crown, including its monasteries and churches. On 12 August 1536, all the Catholic bishops in Denmark were arrested by order of Christian III. The crown installed new bishops, titled as superintendents, to replace the leadership of the former catholic dioceses, but on a local level church life typically remained the same and most parish priests maintained their positions. Catholicism was forbidden in Denmark and the presence of foreign Catholics in Denmark and Norway was de facto criminalized in 1569. Anti-catholic legislation was introduced on several occasions, including in the Danske Lov of 1683. Danish subjects were forbidden to study at Jesuit schools abroad and risked banishment if they converted to Catholicism. With the exception of the free towns of
Fredericia Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region Denmark, Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vej ...
and
Friedrichstadt Friedrichstadt (; ; ; ; ) is a town in the district of Nordfriesland, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated on the river Eider approx. 12 km (7 miles) south of Husum. History The town was founded in 1621 by Dutch settlers. Duk ...
—where religious freedom was established for
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, Catholics, and
Calvinists Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...
for economic reasons—no non-Lutheran religious community was established in Denmark before the freedom of religion was introduced in 1849. However, foreign dignitaries were allowed to conduct private church services in their homes, which were in principle only to be attended by their own household. This exception was first granted to the French ambassador in 1671, and introduced as a general rule in the Danske Lov of 1683. In the 18th century, the Austrian Embassy used this rule to function as a church for a small population of local Catholics, primarily foreign soldiers, officers, and courtiers. In 1622,
Pope Gregory XV Pope Gregory XV (; ; 9 January 1554 – 8 July 1623), born Alessandro Ludovisi, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 February 1621 until his death in 1623. He is notable for founding the Congregation for the ...
established the
Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples (CEP; ) was a congregation (Roman Curia), congregation of the Roman Curia of the Catholic Church in Rome, responsible for Catholic missions, missionary work and related activities. It is also kn ...
. The body was given jurisdiction over former Catholic regions, including the Nordic states, with the intention of re-establishing Catholicism in the region. In 1667, an Apostolic Vicariate was established to specifically oversee this campaign in the Nordic region. Although Catholicism was still suppressed in Denmark, Catholics were granted the freedom to organize in the
Danish West Indies The Danish West Indies () or Danish Virgin Islands () or Danish Antilles were a Danish colony in the Caribbean, consisting of the islands of Saint Thomas with , Saint John () with , Saint Croix with , and Water Island. The islands of St ...
in 1754. This exception was likely granted because the majority of the colony's population were not of Danish origins. By 1840, the number of Catholics in the Danish West Indies exceeded 12,000.


Re-establishment

The constitution of 1849 provided for
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
and the Catholic Church was again allowed to spread in Denmark. In 1850 there were approximately 1,000 Catholics in Denmark. Initially, the reestablished Catholic Church in Denmark was within the Nordic vicariate, overseen by the
bishop of Osnabrück A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
. In 1868, Denmark was elevated to an independent
apostolic prefecture An apostolic prefect or prefect apostolic is a priest who heads what is known as an apostolic prefecture, a 'pre-diocesan' missionary jurisdiction where the Catholic Church is not yet sufficiently developed to have it made a diocese. Although it ...
and the parish priest of St. Ansgar's Cathedral, Hermann Grüder (1828–1883) was appointed as prefect by the
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
. At the time, there were two Catholic
parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...
in Denmark, the first in
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
and the second in
Fredericia Fredericia () is a town located in Fredericia Municipality in the southeastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark. The city is part of the Triangle Region Denmark, Triangle Region, which includes the neighbouring cities of Kolding and Vej ...
. Six new parishes were created in the late 19th century: the parish of
Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...
and
Randers Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is List of cities and towns in Denmark, Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 64,511 ().Horsens Horsens () is a city on the east coast of the Jutland region of Denmark. It is the seat of the Horsens municipality. The city's population is 64,418 (1 January 2025) and the municipality's population is 97,921 (), making it the List of cities and ...
in 1872,
Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
in 1873,
Kolding Kolding () is a Denmark, Danish seaport city located at the head of Kolding Fjord in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the seat of Kolding Municipality. It is a transportation, commercial, and manufacturing centre and has numerous industria ...
in 1882, and
Svendborg Svendborg () is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark, and the seat of Svendborg Municipality. With a population of 27,616 (1 January 2025), Svendborg is Funen's second largest city. Denmark was elevated to an
apostolic vicariate An apostolic vicariate is a territorial jurisdiction of the Catholic Church under a titular bishop centered in missionary regions and countries where dioceses or parishes have not yet been established. The status of apostolic vicariate is often ...
in 1892. This meant that Denmark again had its own bishop, Johannes von Euch (1834–1922). During von Euch's tenure as bishop, the number of parishes increased from 8 to 28, while religious communities of
Redemptorists The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scala ...
, Montfortians,
Camillians The Camillians or Clerics Regular, Ministers to the Sick () are a Catholic religious order founded in 1582 by St. Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614). A large red cross was chosen by the founder as the distinguishing badge for the members of the Ord ...
, and
Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
, among others, were established. By the 1920s there were 16 Catholic hospitals, 35 parishes, and around 30 schools in Denmark. By the early 1930s the number of Catholics in Denmark had increased to about 25,000. Although Catholic immigrants contributed to this increase, the majority of this number was due to conversion. Between 200 and 300 Danes converted to Catholicism each year in Denmark around the turn of the 20th century. The majority of these converts were from the
working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
. Because the majority of Catholic congregations in Denmark were composed of converts, mass was at times made more accessible to those familiar with Protestant services. For example, many Catholic churches allowed
hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...
to be sung in Danish, rather than in Latin. Because of the strong association between
Grundtvig Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig (; 8 September 1783 – 2 September 1872), most often referred to as N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher and politician. He was one of the most influential p ...
and Danish identity, Danish Catholicism is strongly influenced by Grundtvigianism, despite the later being a Protestant movement.


Contemporary history

Initially, the re-established Catholic Church in Denmark had been met with resistance and
Anti-Catholicism Anti-Catholicism is hostility towards Catholics and opposition to the Catholic Church, its clergy, and its adherents. Scholars have identified four categories of anti-Catholicism: constitutional-national, theological, popular and socio-cul ...
, but by the mid-20th century the church was largely accepted within Denmark. Conversion, however, had begun to stagnate, averaging approximately 170 converts annually. In 1953, the Apostolic Vicariate of Denmark was elevated to become the
Diocese of Copenhagen The Diocese of Copenhagen (Danish: ''Københavns Stift'') is a diocese within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. The Bishop of Copenhagen is currently Peter Skov-Jakobsen, who replaced Erik Normann Svendsen in 2009. The main cathedral of ...
. In Denmark the reforms following the
Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...
caused many Danes to leave the Catholic Church. Their departure was somewhat mitigated by an increase in Catholic immigrants. The resulting demographic shift has meant that the Catholic Church in Denmark since the 1950s has become a diverse religious community. Today, a large portion of Catholics in Denmark are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants, particularly
Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...
,
Tamils The Tamils ( ), also known by their endonym Tamilar, are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnic group who natively speak the Tamil language and trace their ancestry mainly to the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Tamil language is o ...
,
Vietnamese boat people Vietnamese boat people () were refugees who fled Vietnam by boat and ship following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. This migration and humanitarian crisis was at its highest in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but continued well into the earl ...
, and Central Africans. On 22 January 2021, Cardinal
Jean-Claude Hollerich Jean-Claude Hollerich (born 9 August 1958) is a Luxembourgish Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Luxembourg since 2011. He was the president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) from March 20 ...
denounced a proposed Danish law that would require translation of all sermons into the
Danish language Danish (, ; , ) is a North Germanic languages, North Germanic language from the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family spoken by about six million people, principally in and around Denmark. Communities of Danish speakers are a ...
. Though Catholics believe that the proposed regulation is aimed primarily at
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, the Danish bishops have said that its passage will chill
religious freedom Freedom of religion or religious liberty, also known as freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice ...
for all, and place a burden on the church, which celebrates
Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
in at least 9 languages nationwide.


Organization

The highest office in the Catholic Church in Denmark has since 1995 been held by bishop
Czeslaw Kozon Czeslaw Kozon (; ; born 17 November 1951) is a Danish Catholic prelate who has served as Bishop of Copenhagen since 1995. Biography Czeslaw Kozon was born in Idestrup, Falster, Denmark, on 17 November 1951 to parents who were emigres from Com ...
, who participates in the Scandinavian Bishops Conference. Bishop Czeslaw Kozon resides in St. Ansgar's Cathedral,
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
, which is dedicated to the
patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...
of Denmark.


List of churches

List of Catholic churches within the Kingdom of Denmark, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands: * St. Anne's Church, Copenhagen * St. Ansgar's Cathedral, Copenhagen * St. Augustine's Church, Copenhagen * Church of Jesus' Heart, Copenhagen *
St. Nicholas' Church, Esbjerg St Nikolaj Church () is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic parish church in Esbjerg in the southwest of Jutland, Denmark. Designed by Johan Otto von Spreckelsen, the rectangular building of aerated concrete was completed and consecrated in 1969. ...
*St. Knud's Church, Fredericia *St. Mariæ Church, Frederiksberg * St. Andrew's Church, Gentofte Municipality * St. Theresa's Church, Gentofte Municipality *St. Marie Church, Haderslev *St. Vincent Church, Helsingør *St. Antoni Church, Herlev *Our Lady Church, Herlev *St. Peter's Church, Herning *St. Vilhelm's Church, Hillerød *St. Nikolaj Church, Hvidovre *St. Elisabeth's Church, Hølbæk *St. Joseph's Church, Horsens *St. Mariæ Church, Kalundborg *St. Michael's Church, Kolding *St. Hans' Church, Køge *St. Knud Lavard Church, Lyngby *Christ the King Church, Nuuk *Holy Cross Church, Nykøbing Falster *Our Lady Church, Næstved *Sakramentskirken, Nørrebro * St. Alban's Church, Odense *Church of Jesus' Heart, Randers *St. Knud's Church, Ringsted *St. Laurentii Church, Roskilde *Our Lady Church, Silkeborg *Our Lady Church, Slagelse *St. Knud's Church, Svendborg *St. Paul's Church, Sønderborg *
St. Mary's Church, Tórshavn The St. Mary's Church () is a parish of the Roman Catholic Church located in Mariugøta 4 in the city of Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands, in the Diocese of Copenhagen. While Catholicism was present in the Faroes from 999 AD, after the ...
*Holy Cross Church, Tønder *St. Pauls Church, Taastrup *St. Norbert's Church, Vejle *St. Kjeld's Church, Viborg *Immaculatakirken, Østerbro *St. Ansgar's Church, Aabenraa *St. Mariæ Church, Aalborg * Church of Our Lady, Aarhus * St. Nicholas Church, Aarhus


List of Danish saints

List of
canonised Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of sai ...
Danish saints within the Catholic Church: *
Saint Canute Canute IV ( – 10 July 1086), later known as Canute the Holy () or Saint Canute (''Sankt Knud''), was King of Denmark from 1080 until 1086. Canute was an ambitious king who sought to strengthen the Danish monarchy, devotedly supported the ...
(''Knud IV den Hellige'') *
Nicolas Steno Niels Steensen (; Latinized to Nicolas Steno or Nicolaus Stenonius; 1 January 1638 – 25 November 1686 ) was a Danish scientist, a pioneer in both anatomy and geology who became a Catholic bishop in his later years. He has been beatified ...
(''Niels Steensen'') *
Charles the Good Charles the Good (10842 March 1127) was Count of Flanders from 1119 to 1127. His murder and its aftermath were chronicled by Galbert of Bruges. He was beatified by Pope Leo XIII in 1882 through ''cultus'' ''confirmation''. Early life Charles ...
(''Karl den Danske'') * Willehad of Denmark (''Villehad af Danmark'') *
Canute Lavard Saint Knud, also known as Canute Lavard ( Danish: Knud Lavard; cognate with English Lord; 12 March 1096 – 7 January 1131) was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a ...
(''Knud Lavard'') *
Saint Kjeld Kjeld or Ketil (, ; 1100–1150) was a 12th-century Danish clergyman. He is venerated as a saint in Denmark, by both Catholics and Church of Denmark, Danish Lutherans. Life Kjeld was born in the early 12th century to wealthy parents, who lived ...
*
William of Roskilde William of Roskilde (, , ; died 8 May or 10 May ) was a Danish prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Roskilde in Denmark from about 1060. Origin Nothing is known about William's early life. A contemporary historian, ...
(''Vilhelm af Roskilde'') *
William of Æbelholt William is a masculine given name of Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle Ages and into the modern era. It is ...
(''Abbed Vilhelm'')


See also

* Religion in Denmark *
Christianity in Denmark Christianity is a prevalent religion in Denmark; in January 2023, 72.1% of the population of Denmark were members of the Church of Denmark. According to a survey based on a sample 1,114, 25% of Danes believe Jesus is the son of God, and 18% believ ...
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Roman Catholic Diocese of Copenhagen The Diocese of Copenhagen is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church named after its episcopal see, the Danish national capital, Copenhagen and covers all Denmark. The diocese also covers two Danish overseas po ...


References

{{Christianity in Denmark
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...