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| New Christian Council Formed in Norway |
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| Written by Christian Roar Pedersen | |
| Friday, 14 April 2006 | |
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Copenhagen, Denmark - A new Christian Council is formed in Norway. The council will consist of all major Christian churches including Lutheran, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostal. The new council is the result of a merger of the Christian Council of Norway and the Norwegian Free Church Council and will be inaugurated on 1 September. The Free Church Council was founded in 1903 with the objective to secure the religious rights in a country which predominantly Lutheran population and a Lutheran state church. The Christian Council of Norway was formed in 1992 and comprises all major denominations except the Pentecostal Movement. A new willingness of Pentecostal circles to collaborate with the Roman Catholic Church has been one of the reasons why the new grouping can be formed. From a global perspective the relationship between the two denominations has been tense. The Pentecostal pastor Torsten Mentzoni explains to the national newspaper Vart Land that experiences in Latin America has made the Pentecostals in Norway reticent to work with the Roman Catholic in the past. "We've seen strong antagonism in these countries, and we've had negative experiences with the Roman Catholic Church there," Mentzoni said. "However, although we are sceptical about the Roman Catholic Church as such, we've come to see Catholics in Norway as fellow Christians." Things have started to change and Else-Britt Nilsen, the general prioress of Dominican sisters in Norway and France told Vart Land: "I've met Pentecostals with a positive attitude to my church. When we get to know each other, we come closer." According to Else-Britt Nilsen it is the secularized society which has made the cooperation necessary. "We have the Christian faith in common. Catholics and Pentecostals are often close in moral issues." It is the hope of pastor Mentzoni that the new climate between Catholics and Pentecostals in Norway will have a positive influence on others parts of Europe. The English name of the new council will be the Christian Council of Norway. Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto:              |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 19 April 2006 ) |
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