Diocese of Västerås Diocesis Arosiensis Västerås stift | |
|---|---|
 Arms of the diocese of Västerås | |
| Location | |
| Country | Sweden |
| Deaneries | 9kontrakt[1] |
| Coordinates | 59°36′45″N16°32′28″E / 59.61250°N 16.54111°E /59.61250; 16.54111 |
| Statistics | |
| Parishes | 59[1] |
| Congregations | 77[1] |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Church of Sweden |
| Established | 12th century[2] |
| Cathedral | Västerås Cathedral |
| Current leadership | |
| Bishop | Mikael Mogren[3] |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Antje Jackelén |
| Map | |
 | |
| Website | |
| svenskakyrkan.se/vasterasstift | |
TheDiocese of Västerås (Swedish:Västerås stift) is a diocese within theChurch of Sweden. ItsEpiscopal see is located inVästerås atVästerås Cathedral. The diocese was first established in the 12th century as part of theRoman Catholic church, but was made part of the Church of Sweden as a result of theProtestant Reformation in Sweden.
The diocese existed as a Catholic diocese from the 11th to the 16th century. The see was founded atMunktorp, then moved about 1100 toVästerås by the EnglishCluniac missionaryDavid of Munktorp, who was Bishop of Västerå, and one of thepatron saints ofVästerås Cathedral.
Before 1118 theDiocese of Sigtuna was divided into theDiocese of Uppsala and that of Västerås. In 1134,Henry, Bishop of Sigtuna was transferred to Västerås.Heathenism was not extinct by 1182. Charles (1257–1277) was a great benefactor, andIsrael Erlandsson [Wikidata], O.S.B. (1260–1332; bishop, 1309–1332), mined copper inDalecarlia and wrote "De Vita et Miraculis S. Erici" (Ser. rev. Svec., II, I, 272-276).
Otto (1501–1522) completed the Västerås Cathedral.Peder Sunnanväder (1522–1523), formerly chancellor toSten Sture the Elder, was executed for alleged treason in 1527. The last Catholic bishop,Petrus Magni (1524–1534), is supposed to have been consecrated 1 May 1524 inRome. In 1527 a Diet was held at Västerås which Protestantized theChurch of Sweden and separated it from theHoly See in Rome. Petrus Magni consecrated various bishops in 1528 and 1531 under protest. Though subjected latterly to humiliating tutelage by KingGustav I of Sweden, he retained the see until his death. The Dalecarlians rose repeatedly in defence of their religion, but were overcome by the cunning and violence of Gustav I.
The cathedral of Västerås and the parish church ofMora were the only important churches in the diocese. At Västerås there was aDominican convent (founded 1234) and a Hospital of the Holy Spirit (founded 1345).Munktorp Abbey [Wikidata] was extinct before 1318. TheCistercianAbbey of Husby [Wikidata] (Gudsberga kloster, Mons Domini) in Dalecarlia, founded in 1477, and colonized fromAlvastra Abbey in 1486, lasted until 1544.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Ancient See of Westeraas".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. The entry cites:
| Current Catholic dioceses and territorial prelatures | |
|---|---|
| Former Catholic dioceses |
|
| Dioceses |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Cathedrals | ||
| Assembly Elections | ||
| Nominating groups |
| |
| Monasteries | ||
| See also | ||
