Raimo Goyarrola: "Finland has a special mission in the Church".Julián Carrón and the transmission of the Gospel todayTelevision, Belorado and the Neocatechumenal WayMonsignor Frederik Hansen, born in Drammen, Norway, in 1979, comes from a Lutheran family. At the age of 20 he converted to Catholicism. Eight years later, he was ordained a priest. He furthered his training in Rome and joined the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2013. His first assignment took him to the apostolic nunciature in Honduras, where he worked in a context marked by significant challenges, including high rates of violence related to drug trafficking. Despite these difficulties, he highlighted the hope and devotion of the Honduran Church. Since 2015, he has been assigned to the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to international organizations in Vienna and the United Nations in New York.
In 2022, Hansen joined the Society of Priests of St. Sulpice and, the following year, Pope Francis appointed him coadjutor bishop of Oslo, preparing him to succeed Bishop Eidsvig. On January 18, 2025, he was ordained bishop in St. Olaf Cathedral in Oslo by Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
His diplomatic experience and deep pastoral commitment position him as a key figure to lead the Oslo diocese in a context of growing cultural and religious diversity.
You have been coadjutor bishop of the diocese for a few weeks now. What are your challenges and needs?
- I must admit that I still do not have a global vision. Since I was told I would be a coadjutor bishop, I have prayed and thought a lot. I have some ideas, but no definitive answer. So I am using these first months to ask questions and invite priests and faithful to think with me - in the synodal way of Pope Francis - about what is the reality of the Church today and what is the future of the Church in Norway and in the diocese of Oslo.
The diocese is my land of origin and my particular Church of incardination as a priest. Therefore, I know it very well. At the same time, I have worked outside Norway since 2008. New priests have arrived, new pastoral realities have emerged in the parishes and Norwegian society has changed. I need time to "re-enter" Oslo. In the last few weeks I have held individual meetings with each priest in the diocese and have been visiting the parishes. After the Easter celebration, I will start the visits to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation.
As a bishop, what are your key pastoral issues and what can you contribute with your experience?
- My pastoral keys are simply the keys of the Church: the proclamation of the faith, the celebration of the mysteries, and the "salus animarum", the guidance of the faithful to eternal life. It seems important to me to recognize that we already have the measures and the program. Our task is to activate them for today's world, for our situation and for our society.
What is the role of the Church in the country in terms of collaboration with the State? How does it promote unity and peace in the face of polarization?
- The Norwegian state provides financial support to publicly registered religious communities. This is based on the desire to be fair and provide all religious communities with similar support as Norway provides to the Church of Norway (the former state church). I feel that we have an open dialogue with the state authorities, even if there are issues on which we disagree.
At the same time, it is increasingly important that the laity in the Church take an active part in society and in political debates, so that the values of the Gospel are heard and can guide our community.
My impression is that the polarization is based on very superficial ideas and understandings. That is why it is important to go to what is fundamental for us. In the Church, it means that we learn to truly know our faith, to participate worthily in the Mass and sacraments and to contribute to the good of the community. We should all agree on this. Despite all the turmoil in the world, it is clear to me that humanity yearns for peace and justice. This is something powerful on which we must build.
How does it encourage the Christian proposal in culture and society?
- It is often said that Norway is a secularized society, a "post-Christian" society. It is true that fewer and fewer people profess the Christian faith. It is also true that Norway has introduced laws that contradict the teachings of the Church. At the same time, Norwegian society is based on the Christian faith. Our flag bears the cross. Our national holidays - and days off from work and school - are Christian holidays (including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Ascension Day).
In 2024 there was a big celebration to commemorate 1,000 years since the introduction of "Christian Law", with laws based on the Christian faith; parts of this law are still in place. Stores in Norway are closed on Sunday. So we have considerable fertile ground, something to focus our attention on, something we can develop and return to.
The Church in Norway is very international. Sunday Mass in Oslo Cathedral is celebrated in 11 languages. The popular piety we see therefore comes from many different nations and cultures. The mission of the Church today, as always, is to support and guide popular piety.
How does the Church carry out the task of guiding consciences without falling into outdated interference?
- Guiding conscience consists, I believe, of two concrete tasks: strengthening the conscience and moral understanding of the individual, and preaching and communicating the moral teaching of the Church. The Church speaks of an "enlightened conscience," not an underdeveloped, lazy or evasive conscience. Helping believers develop an adult, responsible and honest conscience requires both preaching and spiritual guidance (also in confession).
The Church, and especially her pastors, must constantly present to the faithful what the Church teaches about Christian life and morals. This must be done with clarity, in unity with the Church and adapted to the believers. Children must be educated in the most basic things, young people a little more and adults in everything.
How can we recover or promote a new culture of generosity and vocational awareness among all the faithful?
- I believe that much more needs to be done to strengthen the family and the transmission of the faith and the life of faith that is lived in the family. This will strengthen congregations and dioceses, and from living Christian communities will come vocations and Christian lives that will be good for society.
The Vatican Council II has much to teach us here. The Council's message about the universal call to holiness is very demanding because it truly demands that we take up our cross every day and follow the Lord. From it flow the commitments of an authentic and truly Christian life. I believe it is ever more important for the Church to help all believers to live as Christians in today's world, every day.
