On July 16 at 12 noon, Bishop Bernt Eidsvig Can.Reg. of Oslo announced in St. Olav’s Cathedral in Oslo that Pope Leo XIV had accepted his resignation from the office of diocesan bishop. Bishop Eidsvig’s successor as coadjutor bishop had already been appointed on 1 November 2024 and consecrated on 18 January 2025 (see Fides 1/2025, p. 7). Therefore, the change of bishop only awaited this brief announcement. The new Bishop of Oslo is Fredrik Hansen, who in recent months has already taken an active part in the pastoral and administrative work of the Diocese of Oslo.
At the occasion, Bishop Emeritus Eidsvig said: “The diocese is in safe hands. I pray for you, and I pray for Bishop Fredrik. Pray for him too – and I hope that you will continue to pray for me, even though I am no longer your bishop and we will not meet as often in the future as we have done over the past twenty years. Thank you.”
Bishop Eidsvig plans to return later in the autumn to the Abbey of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine in Klosterneuburg, Austria.
The new Bishop Fredrik Hansen wishes to strengthen the evangelising spirit of the Diocese of Oslo and the Church’s presence in society. According to him, evangelisation is at the heart of the Church’s life and must be both personal and communal. He also emphasises the importance of strengthening diaconal work – especially in supporting those in vulnerable situations – as well as the active participation of lay people and families in the Church’s mission. The Church, he says, must be a welcoming, open, and hope-inspiring community that offers space both for seekers and for those with a strong faith.
In Norway, the Catholic Church consists of three jurisdictions. Southern Norway belongs to the Diocese of Oslo, Central Norway to the Prelature of Trondheim, and Northern Norway to the Prelature of Tromsø. The Bishop-Prelate of Trondheim, who is currently also the Apostolic Administrator of Tromsø, is Bishop Erik Varden OCSO, who also serves as the President of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference.
The number of Catholics in Norway has grown enormously in recent decades, and based on the number of registered members, Norway has become the largest Catholic country in the Nordic region. There are about 170,000 registered Catholics in the country. Sweden probably has even more Catholics in reality, but only about 150,000 are registered.
KATT / Katolsk.no