Word: sweden
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...Sweden, as in all Scandinavian countries, religious liberty has developed only gradually since Lutheranism became supreme in the 16th Century; until a law was passed in 1860 recognizing dissident churches, any attempt to get a Lutheran to change his confession was a penal offense, and apostasy from the state church made a Swede liable to banishment for life. Since 1860 much progress has been made, but it has been slow...
Whenever Roman Catholics take a public drubbing for their policy in Spain, they can retort, as the Jesuit weekly America did last spring: "Let us look at Sweden. It has an established Lutheran church, apparently unaware (like England) of the 'great Protestant principle' of separation of church and state. Without special permission of the Swedish government, the Catholic Church can own no property in Sweden, as Protestants can do in Spain ... Do American Catholics, or indeed, Swedish Catholics (5,809 in a population of 6,000,000) shout about Lutheran 'persecution' of Catholics in Sweden...
...this argument Protestants have their answer. Replied the weekly Christian Century to America: "The restrictions upon Protestants in Spain are much more drastic and far-reaching than the restrictions upon Roman Catholics in Sweden. But," the Century added thoughtfully, "it is well that the similarities, as far as they go, should be cited ... A vestige of ... medieval theory and practice remains . . . [weaving] a shoddy strand into the fabric of the Protestant argument for religious liberty...
With the recent publication of a 390-page report on religious freedom, written by a six-man "Dissenter Law Committee" after five years of hearings and deliberations, Sweden has now made a move in the direction of greater religious freedom. The committee's recommendations, due for careful study before introduction into Parliament next spring, contain six major points...
...Stockholm, Sweden's King Gustaf V turned 91. His traditional birthday fishing party was rained out (the day before he had landed a five-pound pike with no help from anyone); so he celebrated indoors, with a half-bottle of red wine for lunch, and a visit from great-grandson Prince Carl Gustaf, 3, who brought flowers and homemade birthday candles...