Our author speaks with natural surprise of the small number of
Roman Catholics he encountered in the Danish States. The Papists
have no church or chapel throughout the kingdom; indeed, with the
exception of the private chapel of the Austrian minister, no place
of worship. We were aware that such was the fact a few years ago;
we were scarcely prepared to find that Rome, who has been so busy
in planting new shoots of her faith in every nook of the known
world, is still content to have no recognition in Denmark. Heavy
penalties are incurred by all who secede to the Romish church. In
Sweden a change to Roman Catholicism is followed by banishment.
This severity, we presume, must be ascribed to state policy rather
than to a spirit of intolerance, for Jews and Christians of every
denomination are permitted the freest exercise of their faith.
Since the year 1521, the era of the Reformation in Denmark, the
religion of the country has been Lutheran. The Danish church is
divided into five dioceses, of which the bishop of Zealand is the
metropolitan. His income is about a thousand a-year, whilst that
of the other prelates varies from four to six hundred. The funds
of the clergy are derived principally from tithes; but the parish
ministers receive part of their stipend in the form of offerings
at the three great annual festivals. Until lately, there existed
much lukewarmness on all religious questions. Within the last ten
or fifteen years, however, a new impulse has been given to the
spiritual mind by the writing and preaching of several Calvinistic
ministers, who have migrated from Switzerland and established
themselves in Copenhagen. Their object has been to stop the
recreations which, until their arrival, enlivened the Sabbath-day.
They have met with more success in the higher classes than amongst
the people, who now, as formerly, assemble on the green in front of
the village church at the close of service, and pursue their several
pastimes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account