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At 6pm on New Years Eve, all 13 of Sweden’s cathedrals will ring for those who have died this year, including Gothenburg Cathedral.
A cathedral is the church that is the center of the diocese and where the bishop is located. In the Diocese of Gothenburg, Susanne Rappmann is bishop.
– The year behind us has been very different. It feels important to stand in front of all the people who have left us, and all those who have been left in mourning, he says in a press release.
Bishop Susanne Rappmann is the 24th bishop of the Diocese of Gothenburg. Photo: Anders Ylander
The bells ring both to honor those who died during the years of the pandemic, and to “gather thoughts and feelings about what unites us.”
The Church of Sweden believes that this year many have died without their families being able to greet them. Additionally, funerals and memorial services have been limited; currently, a maximum of 20 people can attend a funeral.
READ MORE: Exceptions for funerals: A maximum of 20 people can attend.
– As we enter a new year, we know that the pandemic is not over, says Susanne Rappmann.
“He will live with the virus for a while”
He has also invited congregations in the Diocese of Gothenburg to join in the campaign when appropriate.
– We will have to live with the virus at another time, for how long no one knows. At the same time, there is a legitimate hope that the vaccine will accelerate the process towards increasingly lenient restrictions and that we can eventually comply as we are used to. Church bells can also remind us of that hope.
The church bells will ring between 6:00 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Thursday, December 31. Also, as usual, they will greet the new year at twelve o’clock.
The 13 cathedrals of Sweden
- Gothenburg cathedral
- Härnösand Cathedral
- Karlstad Cathedral
- Linköping Cathedral
- Luleå Cathedral
- Lund Cathedral
- Skara Cathedral
- The Great Church of Stockholm
- Strängnäs Cathedral
- Upsala Cathedral
- Visby Cathedral
- Västerås Cathedral
- Växjö Cathedral
However, there are 15 churches that are called cathedrals in Sweden. But the cathedrals of Kalmar and Mariestad, by definition, are no longer cathedrals, because the diocese of Kalmar has merged with the diocese of Växjö (where the bishop now sits) and the diocese of Mariestad has merged into the diocese of Karlstad .
Source: Church of Sweden
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