Martin Modéus new archbishop of the Church of Sweden

Bishop Martin Modéus received 59 per cent of the votes. He will be installed on December 4 as the new Archbishop. The Church of Sweden reports that in a press release. Modéus will be the 71st Archbishop of the Church of Sweden. Currently, he serves the diocese of Linköping.

The future Archbishop says in a reaction that he is grateful and happy "for the support" and looks forward to "going into the task with God's help and together with good colleagues and employees."

"Swede believes in secret"

Even though Sweden is one of the most secular countries in Europe, Modéus thinks that many more Swedes believe in God. According to him, many Swedes believe in secret. "There are surveys that show this trend", Modéus says in an interview with Dagen.

According to the bishop, it is the church's task to respect the choice of people who do not become members of a church. "We should meet people where they are and work with what is available. We as a church cannot force people into a system." Yet, Modéus personally believes that faith should not be seen as a private matter. "We must show how much freedom and openness there is in this fantastic church that the Church of Sweden is." According to the future Archbishop, the church should help people find God in the "traditions celebrated in Sweden for such a long time."

The church should not withdraw itself but boldly celebrate services. That is the advice of the bishop in an interview with Kyrkans Tidning. "We do not celebrate worship only for our well-being; we take a prayer responsibility for the society we live in."

Is the Church of Sweden left-wing?

In addition, the bishop finds it essential that the diverse groups within the church are heard. "Preventing certain groups from speaking up is neither possible nor desirable."

To Dagen's question of whether the Church of Sweden is left-wing, Modéus does not give a clear answer. According to him, the church must speak when the "value and dignity of man and creation are threatened." Modéus: "It is a question of following Christ. We will sometimes be accused of being left and sometimes right. But our task is to follow Christ."