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<p>The 45-year-old prelate served in the Vatican’s diplomatic service until 2022.</p>
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<p>Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state, ordained a Norwegian prelate as the new bishop of Oslo at St. Olav’s Cathedral on Saturday.</p>
<p>Bishop Frederik Hansen, who selected <i>Lex tua veritas</i> — “Your law is truth” — as his episcopal motto, succeeds Bishop Bernt Ivar Eidsvig in leading the increasingly diverse Catholic community within predominantly Lutheran Norway. The 45-year-old served in the Vatican’s diplomatic service under Cardinal Parolin until 2022.</p>
<h3><b>‘The First Duty of a Bishop’</b></h3>
<p>In his sermon on Jan. 18, Cardinal Parolin thanked Bishop Eidsvig, who had led the diocese for almost 20 years, for his “generous service.”</p>
<p>The cardinal emphasized that “unceasing prayer and invocation of the Holy Spirit” constitute “the first duty of a bishop.”</p>
<p>“We cannot fully comprehend the enormity of his transforming power, but we can experience it in some measure if, like the apostles, we remain open and docile to his action,” Cardinal Parolin said.</p>
<p>Prelates from across Northern Europe attended the ordination, including bishops from all Nordic countries, Germany and the United Kingdom. EWTN streamed the ordination in several languages, including German and Polish.</p>
<div class="embed-block"><img alt="Bishop-designate Frederik Hansen (center) before his episcopal ordination as bishop of Oslo on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2024. Credit: Rudolf Gehrig / EWTN News" class="img-fluid" src="https://admin.catholicnewsagency.com/storage/image/bischof-frederik-hansen-kurz-vor-seiner-bischofsweihe-1737196696.png"/></p>
<p class="embed-block__description">Bishop-designate Frederik Hansen (center) before his episcopal ordination as bishop of Oslo on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. | Rudolf Gehrig / EWTN News</p>
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<h3><b>From Diplomat to Diocesan Leader</b></h3>
<p>Born to Lutheran parents in Drammen, Norway, in 1979, Hansen converted to Catholicism at age 20 and was ordained a priest almost eight years later by then-Bishop Eidsvig.</p>
<p>The prelate’s path to the priesthood led him through studies in Rome and work in the diplomatic service of the Holy See before joining the Sulpician order in 2022. </p>
<p>Pope Francis appointed him as coadjutor and eventual successor to Bishop Eidsvig last year. </p>
<p>In an interview with the <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/features/msgr-fredrik-hansen-s-new-appointment" target="null" rel="noopener">Register</a> in November, Hansen said: “The international reality of the Catholic Church is mirrored in the Catholic Church in Scandinavia, which is very multicultural and multilingual. Our cathedral parish in Oslo, for example, has Sunday Masses in 11 languages.”</p>
<p>“We are the world Church on a local level,” he explained, referencing the large groups of Polish, Lithuanian, Filipino, Vietnamese, African and Latin American Catholics in the Nordic dioceses. </p>
<div class="embed-block"><img alt="Cardinal Pietro Parolin ordains Msgr. Frederik Hansen as bishop of Oslo at St. Olav's Cathedral on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2024. Credit: Diocese of Oslo/Katolsk.no/EWTN" class="img-fluid" src="https://admin.catholicnewsagency.com/storage/image/parolin-weiht-bischof-hansen-1737197266.png"/></p>
<p class="embed-block__description">Cardinal Pietro Parolin ordains Msgr. Frederik Hansen as bishop of Oslo at St. Olav&#8217;s Cathedral on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. | Diocese of Oslo/Katolsk.no/EWTN</p>
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<h3><b>A Multicultural Church</b></h3>
<p>Speaking about the Church in Norway, Cardinal Parolin emphasized how Catholics from more than 150 countries have enriched the local Church community. </p>
<p>“This diversity is both a challenge and a gift from God,” he said, noting how different cultural traditions contribute to creating “a unique and singular Church.”</p>
<p>The cardinal praised the Church in Scandinavia‘s commitment to charitable works and evangelization, particularly highlighting their welcome of refugees and immigrants. He also commended the “fraternal love” demonstrated in ecumenical cooperation with Lutheran Christians.</p>
<p>Before the ordination, Cardinal Parolin met with Norway’s King Harald V and Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. </p>
<p>“These were very cordial meetings,” the cardinal told EWTN News, reported <a href="https://de.catholicnewsagency.com/news/18415/kardinal-parolin-in-oslo-multikulturelle-kirche-in-norwegen-ein-geschenk-gottes" target="null" rel="noopener">CNA Deutsch</a>, CNA’s German-language news partner. Cardinal Parolin emphasized the importance of strengthening relationships with civil authorities.</p>
<div class="embed-block"><img alt="Cardinal Pietro Parolin speaks to EWTN News in Oslo, Norway, on Jan. 17, 2025. Fabio Gonella / EWTN News" class="img-fluid" src="https://admin.catholicnewsagency.com/storage/image/parolin-1-1737146920.png"/></p>
<p class="embed-block__description">Cardinal Pietro Parolin speaks to EWTN News in Oslo, Norway, on Jan. 17, 2025. | Fabio Gonella / EWTN News</p>
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<h3><b>Pilgrims of Hope</b></h3>
<p>Looking toward the future, Cardinal Parolin highlighted the significance of Jubilee 2025, calling it an opportunity for “returning to the heart of Jesus.”</p>
<p>He encouraged the faithful to become “pilgrims of hope,” praying especially for regions affected by conflict, mentioning Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Myanmar and Sudan.</p>
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<br /><a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/new-bishop-of-oslo-ordained">Source link </a></p>
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Cardinal Parolin Ordains New Bishop of Oslo, Highlighting Holy Spirit’s Guidance| National Catholic Register
