New Bishop of Skálholt


Bishop Kristján talks to one of his priests. In the background, his Cathedral
On Sunday 18 September, Kristján Valur Ingólfsson was consecrated Bishop of Skálholt, Iceland. Skálholt is the site of the first Icelandic bishopric, established in 1056 by Ísleifur Gissurarson, a priest from a noble family in the area. Ísleifur reportedly travelled with a polar bear as a gift for the Holy Roman Emperor, then on to Rome to have his nomination as bishop approved, and then to Bremen to be consecrated by the Archbishop. Besides his Cathedral, he also built the first school in Iceland in Skálholt. In the 19th century, the Danish authorities (Denmark ruled Iceland at that time) moved the seat of the diocesan bishop to Reykjavik and the ancient sees of Skálholt and Holar became suffragan sees.

Bishop Kristján formerly taught theology at the university and was the rector of the Church at Thingvellir, the site of the founding of the ancient Icelandic parliament in 930. He is also a liturgical scholar and composer of hymns.


I was privileged to be one of the co-consecrators at the service at which the Bishop of Iceland, Karl Sigurbörnsson, presided. Other bishops came from the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, along with the other suffragan bishop in Iceland, Jón Baldvinsson of Holar.

It was also good during my visit to have some time with the priest who serves our English congregation in Reykjavik, the Revd Bjarni Thor Bjarnason. Attendance at the Church of England services which are held on the last Sunday of the month at the Hallgrímskirkja, range between 40 and 60. There are larger numbers at the high feasts.

Bishop Kristján and Bishop Ragnar Persenius (Uppsala)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell to the Diocese in Europe

Image
Deacon Frances and I packed up our office yesterday and turned over our official files, emails and equipment. Thus a close working together for 22 years comes to an end. So it is hard to believe that today, St David's day, a new chapter begins, after 44 years of stipendiary ministry, 22 years as deacon then priest and 22 as a bishop.  Here are just a few memories from the last couple of months...   But now it is time to begin a new chapter.  O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our impatience, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope because of your Word,  even Jesus Christ our Lord. (St Gregory Nazianzus, 330 - 390)
Read more

Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter: A European Consequence

Image
In his Pentecost letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of certain consequences for provinces of the Anglican Communion which have failed to stand by the three moratoria . (No authorisation of blessings services for same-sex unions; no consecrations of bishops living in same-sex relationships; and no bishop authorising any ministry within the diocese of another bishop without explicit permission). One consequence would be that representatives from such provinces w ould not be able to participate in the formal international interchurch dialogues of the Communion. One of those dialogues is the Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council ( AOCICC ), the official instrument set up to deepen the relationship of communion established in 1931 between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht . As the member Churches of the Union of Utrecht are all European, the AOCICC is effectively a European body. (I am one of the members, appo...
Read more

Bishop Austin Rios of California

Image
It was a joyful, colourful, multicultural three-hour liturgy. At Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, the Revd Austin Rios was consecrated the bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of California. I have known Austin from his time as the Rector of St Paul's Episcopal Church in Rome, where he was a great friend and collaborator with our own Church of England All Saints Chaplaincy in that city. The liturgy, appropriately, marked the multiculural make-up of the diocese, with prayers, readings, hymns and songs in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Tonga and Mandarin. The final procession was led by a Chinese dragon! I was told that there were about 300 in the procession and 2000 present in the beautiful gothic cathedral on Nob Hill San Francisco. My good friend and ecuenical colleague from Rome Fr Keith Peckers SJ was also in attenance, so the Church of Rome and the Church of England were both represented! Among the bishop friends present were Bishop Mark Edington of the Episcopal Convocation in Europe, a...
Read more