Евангелическо -лютеранская церковь в Дании или Национальная церковь ( датский : Folkekirken , букв. «Народная церковь», или неофициально den danske Folkekirke , «Датская народная церковь»; гренландский : Ilagiit , букв. «Конгрегация»), иногда называемая Датская церковь — признанная , поддерживаемая государством церковь в Дании . [3] Высшая светская власть церкви состоит из правящего монарха и парламента Дании, Фолькетинга . [4] По состоянию на 1 января 2024 года [update]71,4% населения Дании являются членами, [2] хотя членство является добровольным. [5]
Халкидонское христианство было введено в Данию в 9 веке Ансгаром , архиепископом Гамбург-Бременским . В 10 веке король Харальд Блютуз стал католиком и начал организовывать церковь, а к 11 веку христианство было широко принято по всей стране. Со времен Реформации в Дании церковь была евангелическо-лютеранской , сохраняя при этом большую часть своих высоких церковных литургических традиций дореформации .
Конституция Дании 1849 года определила церковь как «Датскую народную церковь» и обязывает государство поддерживать ее как таковую. [6]
Датская церковь продолжает сохранять исторический епископат . Богословская власть принадлежит епископам : десяти епископам в материковой Дании и одному в Гренландии , каждый из которых курирует епархию. Епископ Копенгагена является primus inter pares .
Датская церковь состоит из одиннадцати епархий , каждую из которых возглавляет епископ , в том числе одна Гренландская ( Фарерские острова были двенадцатой епархией до 29 июля 2007 года). Самый старший епископ ( primus inter pares ) — епископ Копенгагенский , в настоящее время Петер Сков-Якобсен . В дальнейшее подразделение вошли 111 благочиний и 2200 приходов . Насчитывается около 2400 рукоположенных пасторов (датский: præst ). [7]
В каждом приходе есть приходской совет, избираемый членами церкви каждые четыре года. Приходской совет руководит практической деятельностью поместной церкви и решает вопрос о найме персонала, включая пасторов, музыкантов, прислужников и ризничего . Пастор (датский: præst ) подчиняется совету, за исключением духовных вопросов, таких как проведение церковных служб и пастырское попечение . Приходы в одном и том же районе сгруппированы в благочиния, в которых один священник исполняет обязанности благочинного. Благочиния, приходские советы и пастыри подчиняются архиерею епархии.
Особенностью является возможность создания добровольных общин ( валгменигедов ) внутри Церкви. Они составляют несколько процентов членов церкви. Это добровольные объединения , избирающие свой приходской совет и приходского настоятеля, которому они соглашаются платить из своего кармана. Взамен они освобождаются от церковного налога . Добровольная община и ее пастырь подчиняются епископу епархии, а ее члены остаются полноправными членами Церкви. Исторически сложилось так, что когда в приходе доминировало консервативное большинство и священник, либеральное меньшинство часто создавало добровольную общину со своим собственным священником – и наоборот. Сегодня добровольные общины часто являются решением для людей, которые находят идею свободной церкви привлекательной, но хотят сохранить некоторые связи с церковью.
Другая, менее часто используемая функция — это опциональность прихода ( sognebåndsløsning , буквально «выпуск приходских облигаций»). Если член Церкви недоволен конкретным пастором своего прихода, он может выбрать другого пастора, который лучше соответствует его христианским взглядам, например, из соседнего прихода.
Согласно официальной статистике на январь 2023 года, 72,1% жителей Дании являются членами Датской церкви, что на 1,1 процентного пункта меньше, чем годом ранее. [2] Уровень членства варьируется от 54,4% в Копенгагенской епархии до 82,0% в Выборгской епархии . В последние десятилетия процент датчан, являющихся членами церкви, медленно снижается, наиболее важными причинами являются иммиграция из нелютеранских стран, уход некоторых членов и несколько более низкий уровень (56,2%) датских младенцев, которых крестят. . [9]
Любой человек, крестившийся ( обычно крещение младенцев ) в Датской церкви, автоматически становится ее членом. Члены могут отказаться от своего членства, а затем вернуться, если пожелают. Отлучение от церкви возможно по закону, но это редкое явление. Примеры включают заявленных сатанистов . Член церкви, поддерживавший реинкарнацию , был отлучен от церкви, но в 2005 году Верховный суд отменил отлучение.
Согласно последнему опросу, около 2,4% [10] членов церкви посещают службы каждую неделю, хотя в сочельник их посещает более трети населения. Церковь до сих пор широко используется для традиционных семейных церемоний, включая крещения и конфирмации . В 2022 году в Датской церкви было проведено 31,2% свадеб [11] [12] и 80,7% похорон [13] и подтверждено 66,5% детей в 7–8 классах. [14] Уровень еженедельного посещения церкви аналогичен уровню в Норвегии и Швеции .
Согласно опросу 2009 года , 25% датчан считали Иисуса Сыном Божьим , а 18% считали, что он спаситель мира . [15]
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Целью церкви является широкое признание богословских взглядов при условии, что они согласуются с официальными символическими книгами, как это предусмотрено Датским кодексом 1683 года. Это:
Пересмотренные версии Ветхого и Нового Заветов были утверждены королевой Маргрете II в 1992 году. Пересмотренный Сборник гимнов был утвержден в 2003 году. И переводы Библии , и Сборник гимнов вызвали широкие общественные и богословские дебаты.
Исторически сложилось так, что существует контраст между либеральным течением, вдохновленным NFS Grundtvig , и более строгими, пиетистскими или библейскими фундаменталистскими движениями (такими как Indre Mission ). Эта напряженность иногда угрожала разделить Церковь. Тидеверв — незначительная фракция, основанная на строгом лютеранстве и антисовременных, национально-консервативных взглядах. [16] [17]
Церковь Дании является членом Всемирного совета церквей , Всемирной лютеранской федерации , Сообщества протестантских церквей Европы и Сообщества Порвоо .
Причастие включает три чтения из Библии : главу из одного из Евангелий , из одного из Посланий или другой части Нового Завета и, с 1992 года, из Ветхого Завета . Тексты выбираются из официального списка по итогам церковного года . Некоторые литургические особенности имеют фиксированное содержание, но свободны по форме. Этим объясняется общая молитва после проповеди , в которой священнику предлагается упомянуть царский дом. Некоторые просто упоминают «Королеву и весь ее дом», тогда как другие перечисляют всех членов королевского дома по имени и титулу.
Проповедь , как и в других протестантских церквях, является центральной частью службы. Священник берет отправную точку в тексте этого воскресенья, но волен формировать о нем личное послание. В особых случаях даже несвященникам может быть разрешено проповедовать. Гимны также занимают центральное место. В отличие от римско-католической и англиканской церквей, датские общины сидят и поют, а стоят, слушая чтение Библии.
Как и в других лютеранских церквях, Датская церковь признает только два таинства : Крещение и Вечерю Господню . Обычно они включены в Службу причастия. Раньше условием принятия Вечери Господней была индивидуальная или совместная исповедь . Официальный ритуал исповеди все еще существует, но сейчас используется очень редко. Существуют также официальные обряды конфирмации , венчания , благословения гражданской свадьбы и похорон . Экстренное крещение при необходимости может совершить любой христианин, после чего ребенок будет «ратифицирован» в Церкви.
Будучи высшим органом власти Датской церкви, монарх должен быть ее членом (статья 6 Конституции). Это касается также королевских принцев и принцесс, но не распространяется на их супругов. Однако традиционно каждый иностранец, ставший членом королевской семьи, обратился в христианство или стал членом церкви; в результате принц-консорт Хенрик обратился из католицизма перед тем, как жениться на королеве в 1968 году, а Мэри Дональдсон также перешла из пресвитерианства перед тем, как выйти замуж за наследного принца Фредерика в 2004 году.
После Реформации в Дании в 1536 году лютеранское христианство стало государственной религией. В течение следующего столетия, в то время, когда религиозные войны охватили Европу, последовали жестокие преследования других конфессий ( лютеранская ортодоксия ). Исключения были предоставлены только иностранным дипломатам. По крайней мере, какое-то время в XVI веке преобладали небольшие кружки тайного католицизма. С 1683 года римско-католическим, реформатским и еврейским общинам было разрешено находиться в новом городе Фредерисия, причем две последние также находились в Копенгагене. Нелютеранам также было разрешено во Фридрихштадте , на Нордстранде в Шлезвиге и в Глюкштадте в Гольштейне . Конституцией 1849 года в Дании была введена свобода вероисповедания , но лютеранство осталось государственной церковью.
A religious community does not need any state approval in order to enjoy the freedom of religion granted by the constitution. However, state-approved congregations (godkendte trossamfund) enjoy several privileges. They may conduct legal weddings, establish own cemeteries, get residence permits for foreign priests, are exempt from corporate and property tax, may apply for means from the state lottery fund, and members may tax-deduct membership fees and presents to the congregation.
Additionally, those congregations recognised by royal decree before 1970 (anerkendte trossamfund) may name and baptize children with legal effect, keep their own church registers and transcribe certificates on the basis of such registers.[5]
This legal distinction between "recognised" and "approved" communities remains, but is mainly a historical one. Communities recognised before 1970 includes only eight well-established Christian communities as well as one Jewish community. From 1970 until the 1990s only a few more Christian congregations were approved, but since 1998, a much more liberal practice has ensued. Since then, a board of independent experts decide about approval of new religious communities. The board includes professors of law, religious studies and theology and works under the Ministry of Justice, deliberately separate from the Ministry of Ecclesiastical affairs. It merely investigates whether the organisation fulfills basic definitions, such as having a doctrine, creed and cult, in order to be called a congregation of faith. In 2003, the approval of the Forn Siðr religion caused some public debate.
The Church is in practice barred from having official positions in political or other matters, since it has no central bodies that could define such stances: nor a spiritual leader (such as an archbishop), nor a central assembly or synod. Bishops have the last say on doctrinal questions within their respective dioceses. The King (in practice the Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs) and Parliament are the central bodies, but they usually keep to administrative matters and abstain from interfering with spiritual questions. Church laws are rarely changed, and, when it happens, only administrative matters are affected.
Firstly, these principles are generally believed to ensure a non-sectarian, tolerant church where parishioners and priests enjoy a high degree of freedom to practise their own interpretation of Lutheran Christianity. Secondly, many Danish politicians and theologians claim that only this church-state-model will ensure the division of politics and religion, since the Church cannot interfere with political matters or even claim to speak with one voice on behalf of its members. They frequently discourage the term state church and argue it is, as its name states, the "people's church".
Article 66 of the Danish Constitution stipulates a church ordinance shall be laid down by law. This promissory clause dates back from the first Constitution of 1849 but was never put into practice. It was feared that splits could occur if a central authority were created.
In very few cases have politicians deviated from their traditional hands-off course in church doctrinal matters. Where they have done so, it has been with the declared aim of preventing a possible split in the church. See the issues of Female clergy and Same-sex marriage below.
The Church of Denmark conducts civil registration of births, deaths, change of name etc. (vital records). The keeping of such kirkebøger ("church books") is a centuries-long tradition, dating from when the parish rectors were the only government representatives in rural areas. In 2002–03 the traditional church records were replaced by a new national electronic registration system called Personregistrering. After protests in 2005, the Minister for Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs Bertel Haarder announced that people who for various reasons did not want to send their registration forms (e.g. births and namings) to the local church office could now send their forms to a central office located in Nykøbing Falster.
In 2010 parents' duty to report the birth of their child was abolished. Instead, it was decided that in the future it was the task of the midwives to report all births in Denmark (only when a midwife isn't present at the birth of a child are the parents still obliged to report the birth of the child).
From 1 December 2014 all applications should be submitted in digital form whenever possible.
Article 4 in the Constitution of Denmark stipulates that "The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Established Church of Denmark, as such, it shall be supported by the State."[18] On the other hand, article 68 ensures that citizens are not obliged to pay personal contributions to any religion other than their own.[18] It has been questioned how these two principles can co-exist. Non-members do not pay church tax, but an additional state subsidiary accounts for 12% of the Church's income. This means every citizen, even a non-member, contributes with an average of 130 kroner annually (US$23). In addition, the bishops are high-ranking officials whose salary is fully paid by the state. In return, certain public tasks are carried out by the Church, such as conducting vital records registries and managing graveyards which are open to all denominations.
While the debate about separation of church and state emerges occasionally in Denmark, the current arrangement is supported by most political parties. It has been challenged for decades by the left wing and by atheists; more recently also by some ideological liberals and some members of free churches.
Proponents for a separation (disestablishment) argue the state church violates equality of religions and the principle of the secular state. Proponents for the current system argue that membership is voluntary, that the existence of a state church has ancient historical roots, and that the church fulfils certain administrative tasks for the state. They also argue it would be difficult to decide whether church-owned real estate should be handed over to the state or not. The former possessions of the Catholic Church were ceded to the Crown at the reformation in 1536.
According to a poll conducted by the free daily MetroXpress in April 2007, 52% wished to split church and state, 30% were against, and 18% undecided. Minister for Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs Bertel Haarder, spoke out against a split: "Church and state will be separated when more than half of the population are no longer members. N. F. S. Grundtvig said so, and I support that." The opposition Social Democrats also argued against a split, but said there should be more equality between denominations, possibly by a state subsidiary paid to other approved religious communities as well.[20] Immigrant groups and the Muslim society are divided on the issue, as some think official Christianity is preferable to a purely secular state.
Pure equality of religions exists only in a minority of Western European countries. Besides Denmark, only the Faroe Islands, Iceland, England and Greece have official state churches, while Scotland has an officially recognised "national church" that is not connected to the state. Spain, Portugal, Italy and Austria have official ties to Catholicism (concordat), but these ties do not extend to Catholicism being recognised as the state religion in these countries. Further there are varying degrees of public funding of the church in Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Norway, Sweden, in most cantons of Switzerland, and in the Alsace-Moselle region of France.
The ordination of women, having been discussed within the church since the 1920s, has been allowed since 1948, despite some rather strong early resistance from the clergy. The then Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs was contacted by a parochial council who wished to employ a female priest. He decided there was no legal obstacle to that.[21] The first woman to become a bishop was instituted in 1995. As of 2021, a majority of priests are women.[22]
Among a small conservative minority, resistance to women ordained as clergy remains. In 2007 the Bishop of Viborg, known as a moderate conservative, revealed that he had given special consideration to priests who were known to be against ordained women. He had organised ordination ceremonies in such a way that new priests who so wished could avoid shaking hands with, or receiving the laying on of hands from, women ordained as priests. According to the bishop, this had happened twice in the 100 ordinations he had performed. The matter became headline news amidst a debate about Muslim fundamentalists who refuse to shake hands with members of the opposite sex. The Minister for Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Bertel Haarder, said he would discuss the matter with the bishops, but also stated that tolerance for various views should be respected. In contrast, the Minister for Employment, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, thought that the priests in question should be dismissed, as public employees are obliged to shake hands with anyone.[23]
A 2011 poll of the Danish public found that 75.8% of Danes approve of same-sex marriages being performed in the church.[24]
According to a 2011 survey of 1137 priests, 62% of them supported same-sex marriage in the Church on the same basis as for heterosexuals, while 28% were against. A map of the results hints at the traditional west–east division, with a conservative wing being dominant in central West Jutland (the former Ringkjøbing Amt) and on Bornholm, but liberal priests dominating in most other cities.[25]
In 2004, a poll among pastors said 60% were against church marriage of same-sex couples.[26]
Since Denmark approved same-sex civil unions (registered partnership) in 1989, the question of church blessing ceremonies for such unions emerged. After an enquiry from the Danish National Association of Gays and Lesbians in 1993, bishops set up a commission to reach a stance on the matter.
An early stance on registered partnerships was reached in 1997. Bishops maintained that the ceremony of marriage was God's framework for the relation between a man and a woman, but this view of marriage was not affected by the fact that some people chose to live in a responsible community with a person of the same sex, approved by society, i.e. a registered partnership. The bishops disapproved of institutionalising new rituals, but couples who wished a non-ritualised marking in church of their registered partnership should be obliged. In such cases, it would be up to the rector to decide, and he should seek advice from his bishop.[27]
At this time, many churches chose to bless registered partnerships, however this blessing was distinguished from a legal ceremony, which was performed by a mayor or another municipal official.[28]
On 15 June 2012 the Church of Denmark made the decision to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies and not merely bless them; therefore Denmark now recognises same-sex marriages. In early 2012 Minister for Equality, Ecclesiastical Affairs and Nordic Cooperation, Manu Sareen introduced a bill approving same-sex marriage, which was passed in parliament in June 2012.[29] A wedding ritual with liturgy has been developed and presented to parliament by the eleven bishops who are in favor of same-sex marriages being performed in church.[30] Manu Sareen and a majority of bishops initially proposed the ritual would not declare the same-sex couple 'spouses', but 'life partners' (livsfæller, a Danish neologism), but the minister later changed his mind on this detail. Two conservative organisations within the church, Inner Mission and Lutheran Mission, as well as one of the twelve bishops, maintain their protests against same-sex marriage.[31] It will be up to each individual priest to decide whether he or she will conduct marriages of same-sex couples. The first same-sex couple was married on Friday 15 June.[32]
The process towards the official recognition of same sex marriage in the Church of Denmark began on 8 February 1973, when 'Provo Priest,' Harald Søbye, performed a wedding of a male couple, although not legally recognised, on a suggestion from a journalist at the newspaper Ekstra Bladet, which announced it as 'The World's First Gay Wedding'. On 25 February 1973, Harald Søbye performed another wedding, this time of a female couple, in a television programme. The state prosecutor investigated the cases, but concluded that the priest's use of his vestment was not illegal. Søbye had been retired in 1964 for political activism, but remained an ordained priest within the church. During the next 15 years, Søbye performed approximately 210 blessings or weddings of same-sex couples.[33]
When Denmark introduced registered partnerships in 1989, the issue of same-sex marriage for some years received little attention. Church blessings of these partnerships slowly gained ground (see above). Later, the possibility of registered partnership, or same-sex marriage, performed by the church came under discussion. The issue was brought up in an unusual way by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 2004, who said he would approve of such a change, although he claimed to speak as a private person on this issue, not as prime minister.
Views among proponents vary whether such a ceremony should be called 'marriage' or merely 'registered partnership' (registreret partnerskab), as the original same-sex civil union was called. In practice, clergy have been allowed to decide for themselves whether to perform same-sex marriages or not, similar to the right to deny remarriage of divorced persons (a policy employed by a conservative minority of priests).
A further controversy is that this new practice may be against the Danish constitution; §4 of the Danish constitution states: "The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Established Church of Denmark, as such, it shall be supported by the State."[18]
§4 not only establish "Folkekirken" as the state church, but also gives certain boundaries as to what the state church is. It is forced to follow the Lutheran doctrines and if, as some critics claim,[34] the Lutheran doctrines explicitly state that homosexuality is a sin then it is a violation of the constitution to allow gay marriages in the state church.
Gay and lesbian clergy exist, and this is generally considered a strictly personal issue. Parish councils are central in selecting and employing new priests, including interviews with candidates. Once employed, parish priests are public servants and cannot be discharged except for neglect of duties, which will finally be the bishop's decision.
In 2011 a female priest serving two small island parishes was fired after controversies with the parish council of Agersø, while the neighbouring Omø supported her. She claimed to have been ousted because of her sexuality, but the parish council rejected this accusation and mentioned 'cooperation problems' as the cause. Twenty years earlier she had come out as lesbian and a practitioner of sadomasochism in a Swedish TV programme.[35][36]
In 2009 a parish priest in Tingbjerg, a Copenhagen suburb, moved away from the parish to a secret address after assaults against his vicarage, his car and the parish church. The vicarage was put up for sale. According to Avisen.dk, local youths claimed they harassed him because he was openly homosexual, among other reasons.[37] The priest himself denied this was the issue, but rather claimed the assaults were part of a general tendency in the 'crumbling district', and intensified after he spoke out in public about the local youth crime.[38] A Sunday service held a few weeks later was attended by several prominent guests supporting the priest, including Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Education and Ecclesiastical Affairs Bertel Haarder, and photographer Jacob Holdt.[39]Tingbjerg is a single-plan public housing area, marked by gang violence and youth crime, and the most criminal district of Copenhagen.[40]
In 2000, the Church of Denmark's ecumenical department publicly criticized the Roman Catholic declaration Dominus Iesus, which controversially used the term "ecclesial community" to refer to Protestant denominations, including Lutheran churches. The Church of Denmark argued that there is a destructive effect on ecumenical relations if one church deprives another of the right to be called a Church and that it is just as destructive as if one Christian denies another Christian the right to be called a Christian.[41]
