The Easter service has received “long covid”

New figures from Statistics Norway show that the Easter service has not resumed after the pandemic.

– Participation in church services is on the way up again, but when it comes to Easter services, the trend is the opposite, says Andreas Østhus of Statistics Norway.

Last year, there were 4,000 fewer people who attended Easter services in Norway compared to 2022, and this year it is expected that the trend will continue.

– Tala points to the fact that we must talk about the Easter services. They are very strong and meaningful, no less in a time where we face the big questions about life and death in so many ways, says president of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit.

This year he celebrates Easter in Kautokeino.

– At Easter there is a big party in the church, but also a folk festival. Maybe I will experience something other than falling numbers there.

Director Ingrid Vad Nilsen of the Church Council believes the “long covid” effect may be related to the fact that the Easter holiday is more “cyclical” than Christmas.

The Norwegian coronary restrictions were introduced without much fuss, but when the Easter service was canceled for the first and second time since the Black Death, there were many who raised eyebrows.

The frustration peaked in an “Easter appeal” in Vårt Land: “It has been frustrating that we were allowed to queue in the ski lift or in front of the pole, but not gather at a distance from the church service”, it was said in the priest’s appeal.

In comparison, Denmark and Scotland prioritized having open churches at Easter.

Terje Bendiksby / NTB

Kjersti Toppe, Minister of Life

– I share the opinion that the religious and religious communities were too tightly regulated during parts of the pandemic. Whether this is the reason for falling attendance at church services now is difficult to know. Then I am impressed by the work of the various church voices in arranging Easter services, concerts and other meeting points.

Private

Sunniva Gylver, priest

– We should have stood up more clearly for the importance of holding church services during the pandemic. If we as a church do not show that this is vitally important, we cannot count on others to understand it.

Sive Sandvik

Gard Sandaker-Nielsen, leader of Open folk church and Oslo diocese council

– Should we end up in a similar pandemic situation, I expect that the church will not be subject to stricter restrictions than commercial players such as clothing stores and the liquor store. So it is important to be where the people are. This means that we must consider making arrangements so that more people can experience church Easter where they are, for example on the ski slopes.

Robert Rønning / Robert Rønning NRK

Vebjørn Selbekk, Dagen editor

– I think it is a dead end to blame external factors. It is Norwegian Protestant Christians’ own responsibility that the church visit goes down during Easter. The problem is that Easter has become more mountains, sea, oranges and quick lunches than the most important Christian holiday of the year, which it actually is.

Ole BergRusten / NTB

Olaug Bollestad, KrF leader

– I am personally so done with the corona now that I do not want to place any kind of blame on the ministry or the directorate. I hope everyone has a safe and good Easter celebration, and that those who are interested, even if only a little, can take part in the Easter services, whether it is in the Church of Norway or other Christian faith communities.

A. Tufte Wetherilt

Marius Timmann Mjaaland, professor at the Faculty of Theology (UiO)

– It is not unexpected that it is difficult to gather many people for Easter, there is a deeper seriousness about the events at Easter, but also a deeper joy. The mystery of Easter is stronger, but also more challenging to take in. It becomes a bit like a demanding film, which solders the heights and depths of life. Calvary is like the primeval script for all films from Hollywood, just long before Hollywood.

– We get to make a good plan for those who come

– I don’t think the pandemic alone can take the blame for the fact that the Easter services are no longer so well attended, says Hilde Marie Movafagh, who is rector at the Methodist Church’s theological seminary.

She believes it is too early to determine that the Easter service has been permanently weakened as a result of the pandemic, and that declining attendance at the Easter service “has been a long trend over several decades”.

See more reactions to the new product “Easter mystery” below.

Hallstein Dvergsdal

Vidar Bjotveit, priest in Gloppen

– I think there are a combination of reasons for the decline. The pandemic may be partly to blame. But it is not just at Easter that we have a decline. During the Easter holidays, we miss people for summit tours and family fun. And like the rest of the year, the bag of secularization is open.

Private

Rigmor Frøyen, priest in Naustdal

– Those who usually go to church perhaps do not dare to invite others to join? There is great potential here. As a priest, I live in this tension – a feeling that we offer a “goods” that many do not want. At the same time, I need to maintain that the Easter message is at the center of the Christian faith. We who come to church need to be encouraged, not to be met with the words “we should be more”.

Gunnar Bratthammer / NRK

Olav Fykse Tveit, president and bishop of Nidaros domprosti

– Easter is marked and celebrated in many ways. Someone just comes to an open church. Or have different experiences that do not all count in the same way: From Easter concerts, Easter gatherings for kindergartens and schools, to the walk of the cross, mountain chapel gatherings, and services on the various weekends and Easter night. I think many people get something from it, but perhaps not as much as before.

Valentina Baisotti

Ragnhild Jepsen, bishop in Bjørgvin

– The Easter holiday is the church’s big holiday, and the number of services and gatherings in churches all over the country is high. We wish to reach people where they are. Therefore, we must also have a good conversation about how we work to achieve this. But above all, we are happy for everyone who comes to church during the festive season – for gatherings of high quality and with a different feel.

NRK

Paul Erik Wirgenes, parish priest in Ris

– Habits have changed throughout the corona era, but we have too little numerical basis to assess whether the decline is permanent. I myself think that it will take time before new habits are established. It is a challenge for the church to both communicate and carry out the Easter celebration as the central celebration for the church.

DNA

Tore Myklebust, parish priest in Breim and Hyen

– We can’t just blame the pandemic. It has certainly to some extent only reinforced a long-standing trend towards less involvement. Otherwise, it will be exciting to watch. Locally in the church in Gloppen there was a good turnout for the Palm Sunday event. Full church in Sandane church. Due to the town, there was a good attendance at Hestenesøyra and also at Galerikvelden in Vereide church.

PerIvar Kvalsvik

Ingvald Andersen Frøyen, parish priest in Førde

– Over a 20-year perspective, we see that fewer people come to church than before. However, the holidays are still strong. At the same time, we are constantly working to renew ourselves in terms of the form and timing of our services, because people have new habits and priorities.

Arne Stubhaug / NRK

Kjell Olav Høstaker Nordheim, provost of Parish parish

– For our part, it is too early to say whether the Easter services are permanently impaired, and whether this is related to the restrictions. Among other things, the decline in church attendance at Christmas – which appears to be a widespread trend – has not taken effect in Sogn. We are therefore optimistic about Easter, which runs until now.

of the Methodist Church

Hilde Marie Movafagh, rector of the Methodist Church’s theological seminary

– A packed church is what we would often call a good service. But it is also a good service if you get a good sermon and a good time at the church cafe, especially for those who have chosen to stay at home during Easter or do not have many places to travel to. Easter is long if the network is small, and then such services mean a lot.

DNA

Arild Hellesøy, provost in Hardanger and Voss provost

– We can hope that the support for the Easter services can increase gradually and that we will soon be back to the level of getting the corona, and preferably above that! But everything indicates that this will take time.

– Easter is the most important Christian holiday

Before Christmas, the member survey in the Church of Norway showed “some growth” in participation in church activities since 2021, probably because the pandemic restrictions are gone.

The proportion who state that they have visited the church at least once in the past 12 months, increased from 72 per cent in 2021 to 80 per cent in 2023.

Church council leader Kristin Gunleiksrud Raaum tells NRK that the Easter story will not become less important, even if it becomes less visible in society.

– It is a complicated story with a lot of darkness and a very strong dramaturgy. It contains betrayal, suffering, fear and joy – and is a story in which life triumphs over death.

She adds:

– I wish many people got that story with them.