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== The Ecumencial Patriarchate ==
== The Ecumencial Patriarchate ==
St. Nikolai congregation is under the juridstriction of the [[Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe]]. While this adhers to Russian or Slavic tradition, the Norwegian language is always used along with [[Slavonic]] and at times exclusively used. This reflects the missionary tradtion of the Orthodox Church, as in for example the work of Sts. [[Cyril and Methodius]], renowned for helping to create a local alphabet in order to translate both [[Sacred Scripture]] as well as the various liturgical books of the [[Orthodox Church]].


{{see also|Greeks in Norway}}
The Greek Community {{see also|Greeks in Norway}}
The primarily Greek congregation of the Annunciation of the Theotokos was founded in 1965 with main purpose of serving the Greek-speaking Orthodox community in [[Norway]]. This church sorts under Metropolitan Pavlos Menevissoglou of "[[Sweden]] and all of [[Scandinavia]]", an based is in [[Stockholm]]. The congregation celebrates the Divine Liturgy approximately once a month through Archimandrite Evmenios Likakis or other Greek clergy flown to Oslo for the occasion. There is also a small Greek community in [[Bergen]] with 98 members, St. Michael's Orthodox Church<ref>[http://www.fylkesmannen.no/hoved.aspx?m=1166&amid=2913053 Fylkesmannen i Hordaland - Bergen Moské størst av trussamfunna i 2009]</ref>.

The primarily Greek congregation of the Annunciation of the Theotokos was founded in 1965 with main purpose of serving the Greek-speaking Orthodox community in [[Norway]]. This chrurch sorts under Metropolitan Pavlos Menevissoglou of "[[Sweden]] and all of [[Scandinavia]]", an based is in [[Stockholm]]. The congregation celebrates the Divine Liturgy approximately once a month through Archimandrite Evmenios Likakis or other Greek clergy flown to Oslo for the occasion.There is also a small Greek community in [[Bergen]] with 98 members, St. Michael's Orthodox Church<ref>[http://www.fylkesmannen.no/hoved.aspx?m=1166&amid=2913053 Fylkesmannen i Hordaland - Bergen Moské størst av trussamfunna i 2009]</ref>.


{{Commons category|Orthodox churches in Norway}}
{{Commons category|Orthodox churches in Norway}}

Revision as of 20:50, 28 March 2011

Orthodoxy in Norway
Our Saviour's Orthodox Church in Oslo.
ClassificationOrthodox Church
RegionNorway
Origin1931
Members8,492
A icon with the Norwegian flag.

Orthodoxy in Norway is a small minority religion in Norway with 8,492 members in 2010[1], up from 2,315 in 2000, making it the fastest-growing religion in Norway with a rate of 266.8% compared to Islam's 75.2%.[2]

Year Orthodox Percent
1980 ? ?
1990 1,222 0.02%
2000 2,315 0.05%
2010 8,492 0.17%

History of the Orthodox Church in Norway

Since the Viking era Scandinavians and specifically Norwegians came into contact with both the Byzantine Empire and their neighbors, the Russians. Several of the Viking chiefs and kings not only resided in Novogorod but also helped to make Kiev an important medival center. At some point during the late ninth or early tenth century Kiev fell under the rule of Varangians and became the nucleus of the Rus' polity. Through political and cultural links, trade links, and dynastic marriages, Norway was introduced to Orthodox Christendom. In the 16th century a Russian missionary, St. Trifon the Petjenga, evangalized some of the Sami people of Norway and he built an Orthodox chapel along the Neiden River. Russian priests and monks visited Northern Norway until World War II. After the socialist revolution in 1917, a number of Orthodox refugees fled to Scandinavia, first to Sweden and eventually to Norway. The Russian Orthodox Church organized pastoral work among them through the church in Stockholm , founded in 1617. In 1931, St. Nikolai church was established in Oslo. This congregation of Russian tradition sorts under the Patriarchate of Constantinople and was the first modern Orthodox congregation established in Norway. The past decade has also seen the more permanent establishment of Orthodox communities of Serbain, Bulgarian and Romanian tradition, the priests of these communities sorting under their corresponding juridstrictions.

The Moscow Patriarchate

Through immigration from both Russia, the former Yugoslavia and other Eastern European countries the number of Orthodox Chritians in Norway has increased significantly. The main parish of the Moscow Patriarchate, St. Olga's, was founded in Oslo in 1996. Today, there are also independent churches under the Moscow Patriarchate in Stavanger, Bergen and Kirkenes. In addition, the Moscow Patriarchate sponsors work in Tromsø, Trondheim and in the Russian settlement of Barentsburg on Svalbard.

The Ecumencial Patriarchate

St. Nikolai congregation is under the juridstriction of the Patriarchal Exarchate for Orthodox Parishes of Russian Tradition in Western Europe. While this adhers to Russian or Slavic tradition, the Norwegian language is always used along with Slavonic and at times exclusively used. This reflects the missionary tradtion of the Orthodox Church, as in for example the work of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, renowned for helping to create a local alphabet in order to translate both Sacred Scripture as well as the various liturgical books of the Orthodox Church.

The Greek Community The primarily Greek congregation of the Annunciation of the Theotokos was founded in 1965 with main purpose of serving the Greek-speaking Orthodox community in Norway. This church sorts under Metropolitan Pavlos Menevissoglou of "Sweden and all of Scandinavia", an based is in Stockholm. The congregation celebrates the Divine Liturgy approximately once a month through Archimandrite Evmenios Likakis or other Greek clergy flown to Oslo for the occasion. There is also a small Greek community in Bergen with 98 members, St. Michael's Orthodox Church[3].

See also

References