…We are all in the same boat

The sea joins the ancient archbishopric together. The sea, where our forefathers sailed in open boats – to The Faeroes, The Orkneys and The Shetland, The Hebrides and The Isle of Man, Iceland, Greenland and Norway. The Norse sea is criss-crossed by many voyages. And each voyage transports human life. Real life. Threatened life. 

  The Archbishopric of Nidaros 1153 - 1537 and its ten Bishoprics
  Bergen, Stavanger, Hamar and Oslo in Norway, Peel, Isle of Man:
  Kirkwall, The Orkneys: Kirkjubø, The Faeroes:
  Skàlholt and Holar in Iceland: and Gardar in Greenland


Like a ship, the Church sails the same sea. A vessel that will embrace all these voyages, all these lives. Nidaros became the archbishopric for the whole Norse area in 1153. For almost 400 years the Church held the same course under archbishops with their throne in Norway's national shrine, built over the grave of Saint Olav. Olav-spirituality strengthened the bond between Church and people. The Norsemen had long been familiar with the gospel from without, but through Saint Olav a whole people were drawn within.

In 1537 Olav Engelbrektsson set sail out of the Trondheim Fjord for the last time. He fled from Nidaros and Norway, and the Church was left behind, divided. Until then she had ploughed the seas as a single proud vessel, now she sailed on in small boats. But the heritage of the archbishopric has lived on – in parishes, regions and church buildings. In spirituality and traditions. In so many lives. So many voyages.

Nidaros is no longer an archbishopric, and in the area covered by the ancient church province, the Church sails with different rigging. But the sea is the same. The ship is the same. God hasn't changed. And we are coming together.

Our anniversary is not only a celebration of the memory of something that is past and gone. We want to invite you to a celebration of the living Church. For we are all in the same boat, a sailing and struggling Church. A ship that has sailed in stormy and calm waters on the Norse sea for 850 years.

This is worth celebrating!
Welcome to Nidaros!

Finn Wagle, Nidaros bishop

The Church sailing in Norse waters

When Ansgar, the Apostle of the North, made his missionary journey to Denmark and Sweden in the 9th century, he didn't reach the coast of Norway. Even so he was appointed archbishop for the newly-established archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen, as "The Holy See's apostolic delegate and vicar for all peoples among the Swedes, Danes and Slavs". This probably included the whole of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Christian faith was probably to be found throughout the Norse region. Norwegians had contact with Christian lands from the 8th century – as pillagers, tradesmen and immigrants to The Orkneys, The Hebrides, Ireland, England and France. It was not a completely heathen area that was placed under the archbishop's supervision. But the ecclesiastical authorities were far away. In Norway, the struggle over religion and sovereignty continued for many years.

Saint Olav came to Norway with bishops and priests in his court in 1015. Olav established his sovereignty in the course of a year, and began his christianisation of the country. But it wasn't enough for him that the people were baptised. He wanted to establish the Church by law, and at some time in the 1020s, he and bishop Grimkjell held a "ting" at Moster, where a Christian legal code was formulated and adopted.

In the beginning, the bishops were part of the king's court, but in the latter half of the 11th century they began to act more independently, eventually also from permanent episcopal seats at Nidaros, Selja/Bjørgvin and Oslo.

By the middle of the 12th century Rome had decided that she wanted to organise the Nordic Church in three sections. Norway was in the meantime under the archbishopric of Lund, which was established in 1103.

The pope sent his trusted cardinal Nicholas Brekespear to the north to establish a church province for Norway and the Norse island kingdoms.

A meeting took place, probably in the cathedral at Nidaros, and the area was made a church province under Archbishop Jon Birgisson from 1153.

850 years have passed. The ancient archiepiscopal see no longer exists. The Church was divided, and in the first period after the archbishop fled from Nidaros in 1537, it was division and remoteness that replaced the former unity.

But that applied mostly in politics and strategy. Locally and among the populace there were no immediate changes. Parish and congregation continued as before. Peoples loyalty to the church was unchanged and Olav-spirituality survived in peoples consciousness.

In the 19th century, interest in our common history revived. At the end of the 1890s, the Feast of Saint Olav ("Olsok") was restored to the church calendar, and the 900th anniversary of Saint Olav's death in 1930 deepend our awareness of our common identity within the ancient Norse archbishopric.

On 2nd June 1989, Pope John Paul II visited Nidaros Cathedral. For the first time in 452 years, the Church was together again. In his speech of welcome, Bishop Kristen Kyrre Bremer said: "The challenge is clear: We must hold out our hands to one another once again."

Fourteen more years have passed. The world's churches are drawing constantly closer to one another through conversations, companionship and joint projects and challenges. The 850th anniversary of the archbishopric of Nidaros is a celebration of our common history in Norse waters. And also a prayer for the future.

The anniversary programme:

Saturday 26th July
8.30 a.m. Pilgrims' Eucharist in Nidaros Cathedral
9.30 a.m. Opening of the 850th anniversary celebrations in Saint Øystein's Hall
10.45 a.m. – 4.30 p.m. (10.45.-16.30.) "Nidaros Archbishopric – Centre and Periphery for 400 years"
• English language seminar in Saint Øystein's Hall
• "The Heroic Age. The Foundation of the Church Province and the Reform Movement in the Second Half of the 12th Century". Lecture by Professor Sverre Bagge, Ph.D.
• "Iceland and Nidaros". Lecture by Associate Professor Jón Vi∂ar Sigur∂sson, D.Art.
• "Saint Olav's Law – and the union kingdom". Lecture by Associate Professor Eldbjørg Haug, Ph.D.
6.30 p.m. (18.30.) Catholic mass in Saint Olav's Church
9 p.m. (21.00.) The opera "Eystein of Nidaros". The Archbishops' Palace and Nidaros Cathedral

Sunday 27th July
10 a.m. Anniversary Service in Nidaros Cathedral. Preacher: Cardinal Walter Kasper
2.30 p.m. (14.30.) Catholic Mass at Stiklestad 
6 p.m. (18.00.) The Saint Olav Pageant at Stiklestad

Monday 28th July    
9 a.m. Service of worship in the Museum in the Archbishops' Palace
10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (10.00.-16.00.) "Hope and threat. The Church and religions: Bearers of hope or part of the threat?"
• Seminar in Saint Øystein's Hall
7 p.m./8 p.m. (19.00./20.00.) City walks to the Saint Olav Vigil
9 p.m. (21.00.) "Hymns in the Nuclear Age". Poems by Matthías Johannessen and re-created by Knut Ødegård. Introduction by Lars Roar Langslet and recitation by Matthías Johannessen and Knut Ødegård.
11 p.m. (23.00.) Saint Olav's Vigil opening worship
Midnight. (00.00.) Saint Olavs Vigil. All night vigil, prayers every hour

Tuesday 29th July
8 a.m. Catholic Mass in Nidaros Cathedral
11 a.m. Olsok Eucharist in Nidaros Cathedral
12.30 p.m.The West Front. Pastoral Letter to the Archbishopric. Church coffee and greetings
6 p.m. (18.00.) "A survey of literature connected with Nidaros Archbishopric"
• Lecture by the author Knut Ødegård and Lars Roar Langslet
• Saint Øystein’s Hall
8 p.m. (20.00.) "Geisli". A performance of the medieval poem "Geisli" by Einarr Skúlason, re-created by Knut Ødegård and music by Ludvig Nielsen for choir, organ and recitation. Nidaros Cathedral Choir, conductor Vivianne Johnsen. Recitation by Ola B. Johannesson. Organ, Oddbjørn Sæbø.
• Nidaros Cathedral

Programme for Pilgrims

850 years ago, pilgrims were a common sight in the Norwegian landscape. They came to Nidaros to do penance and to satisfy their longing for wholeness and a structure for their lives. The archbishops, especially Eystein Erlendsson, took care of them. During the past decades pilgrims have again begun to come to Nidaros. The pilgrims' quest will therefore be a theme for the anniversary celebrations.

We would like to draw attention to five arrangements:

• On 6th July, Nidaros' – and the world's – most northerly pilgrims' route will be opened at Gløshaugen in Harran in Grong parish. This route goes to Megard in Snåsa and from there to Stiklestad and Nidaros. The event will be celebrated with pilgrims' walks and a service of worship.

• A pilgrimage from Hamar to Nidaros is possible for those who can make arrangements themselves, either as a group or individually. A plan of daily stages has been made, covering the period 29th June – 25th July. Contact us for more information.

• A pilgrims' weekend is being arranged in Verdal, 18th – 20th July, with pilgrimages from Vådal - Saint Andrew's church site, Skalstugan – Sul (bus to the staring point) and Munkeby monastery ruin to Stiklestad.

• The Saint Olav Festival is arranging a pilgrimage from Løkken to Nidaros, 21st – 25th July (deadline for registration: 1st July).

• City walks to the Saint Olav vigil 28th July 7/8 p.m. (19.00./20.00.)

There will be a service in the old mine (Gammelgruva) at Løkken Verk on Sunday 20th July at 4 p.m. (16.00.)

For more information and registration contact:

The Pilgrims' Chaplain in Nidaros Kjell A. Skartseterhagen, Kongsgårdsgate 2, N-7013 Trondheim, Norway. Telephone: (+47) 97 71 57 59 / (+47) 73 53 84 87.

E-mail kjell.skartseterhagen@nidarosdomen.no

See also the pilgrims' programme for the Saint Olav Festival.

The opera "Eystein of Nidaros"

"Eystein of Nidaros" is a newly written opera with music by Henning Sommerro and libretto by Edvard Hoem. Direction by Stein Winge. The first part will be performed in the Archbishops' Palace and the second part in Nidaros cathedral. The world premier of the opera will take place during The Saint Olav Festival 2003.

Olsok: The Feast of Saint Olav - 29th July

Information, tickets and registration

Information about the anniversary and registration for the seminars:

Address:
850th anniversary for the Archbishopric of Nidaros – Olsok 2003
Erkebispegården, N-7013 Trondheim, Norway.
Telephone: (+47) 73 53 91 00.
Telefaks: (+47) 73 53 91 11.

E-mail: nidaros.biskop@kirken.no

Website for Nidaros Diocese: http://www.kirken.no/nidaros

Information about tickets for "Eystein of Nidaros", "Hymns in a Nuclear Age", ""A survey of literature connected with Nidaros Archbishopric" and "Geisli" is available from the Saint Olav Festival office (Olavsfestdagene). The annual Saint Olav Festival in Trondheim is Norway's leading festival for Church and culture. The anniversary celebrations take place in the festival period, which in 2003 is 25th July to 2nd August. For information and the festival programme, contact Olavsfestdagene by telephone (+47) 73 84 14 50 or visit the Festival's website http://www.olavsfestdagene.no/

Tickets for the Saint Olav Pageant:
The pageant is a dramatised version of the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030, where Saint Olav lost his life. The pageant has been performed annually since 1954.

Performances in 2003: Friday 25th July at 7 p.m. (19.00.), Saturday 26th July at 6 p.m. (18.00.), Sunday 27th July at 6 p.m. (18.00.) and Tuesday 29th July at 7 p.m. (19.00.)

Bookings: Billettservice: Telephone (+47) 815 33 133.
Stiklestad National Cultural Centre:
Telephone: (+47) 74 04 42 00.
Telefaks: (+47) 74 04 42 10. E-mail: stiklestad@snk.no

The programme may be subject to change