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'Never Done That Before': Swedish Churches Facing Closure Amid Rocketing Heating Bills
Sputnik News ^ | 10/6/22 | Igor Kuznetsov

Posted on 10/14/2022 7:18:45 PM PDT by marshmallow

Earlier, Sweden warned of looming power cuts and possible energy rationing in the coming winter amid record-breaking energy prices that prompted measures to lower electricity consumption in all spheres of life, including worship.

Faced with ballooning energy costs and unable to pay for heating bills, the Church of Sweden is closing down its houses of worship this winter.

So far, there is no aggregate figure on how many churches will be completely closed across the country. The pastorates and the congregations are self-determining and there have been no orders from the dioceses. However, it is absolutely clear that many will resort to the most drastic solution.

Among others, Skara pastorate has decided to completely close 11 of its 16 churches over the winter due to exorbitant electricity prices.

“Now we are closing completely and we have never done that before,” Provost Robert Lorentzon told national broadcaster SVT. No baptisms or funerals will be held there this winter. “We will close from All Saints until April completely, and not open them until the spring heat comes hopefully in early April,” Robert Lorentzon added.

According to Lorentzon, more pastorates will follow suit and close down. In those five churches in Skara that will be kept open, the heat will be lowered by two degrees.

In Skåne and Blekinge counties in southern Sweden, up to half of a total of 540 churches belonging to Lund diocese may close in a worst-case scenario, if electricity bills soar to over SEK 200,000 ($18,000) per “medium-sized church”, diocese engineer Andreas Månsson estimated.

(Excerpt) Read more at sputniknews.com ...


TOPICS: Current Events; Mainline Protestant; Ministry/Outreach; Religion & Culture
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1 posted on 10/14/2022 7:18:45 PM PDT by marshmallow
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To: marshmallow

“I live my life in a mo hair sweater”


2 posted on 10/14/2022 7:25:04 PM PDT by Track9 (You are far too inquisitive not to be seduced…)
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To: marshmallow

Glad to see them doing their part to combat man-made global warming.


3 posted on 10/14/2022 7:27:32 PM PDT by Fester Chugabrew (/s)
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To: marshmallow

The same Sweden that just opened a gas pipeline?


4 posted on 10/14/2022 7:27:38 PM PDT by cranked
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To: marshmallow

Will they be closing down the pubs & nightclubs too?


5 posted on 10/14/2022 7:30:56 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> --- )
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To: marshmallow

Something tells me that their Mosques will do just fine this winter, regardless of how much Sweden’s government will have to pay to keep them operating.


6 posted on 10/14/2022 7:33:20 PM PDT by BobL (By the way, low tonight in Estonia: 36 degrees)
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To: marshmallow

Wouldn’t it make more sense to have people gathered together to keep warm?

If there is a shortage of fuel get together at one house and lower the temp at all the other houses. Move to another house the following night or week.


7 posted on 10/14/2022 7:43:00 PM PDT by McGavin999 (A sense of humor is a sign of intelligence, leftists have no sense of humor, therefore………)
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To: marshmallow

Just another excuse to squash Christianity.

Covid isn’t an issue any more, so now it’s another excuse.


8 posted on 10/14/2022 7:43:49 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith….)
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To: marshmallow
Slow Joe Biden toppled a stack of energy dominoes which tumbled down all over the world. Biden completely vandalized world energy production and distribution.

This winter many will freeze to death, people who without Biden, would have otherwise lived. There will be more flu and pneumonia. Rolling blackouts will occur throughout Europe and the world.

I wonder how many direct and indirect deaths Biden has caused and will continue to cause?

9 posted on 10/14/2022 7:45:46 PM PDT by Governor Dinwiddie (LORD, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.)
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To: marshmallow

Shutting down due to the Church of Climatology and good old fashion stupidity


10 posted on 10/14/2022 8:30:43 PM PDT by NWFree (Somebody has to say it 🤪)
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To: marshmallow
If it's the official "established church" of Sweden (no separation of church and state), very likely nobody much is showing up anyway.

I suppose there must be some Christians in Sweden, but this is not them.

11 posted on 10/14/2022 8:53:12 PM PDT by Salman (It's not a slippery slope if it was part of the program all along. )
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To: smokingfrog

What about the mosques?


12 posted on 10/14/2022 9:29:14 PM PDT by Inspectorette
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To: smokingfrog

What about the mosques?


13 posted on 10/14/2022 9:29:14 PM PDT by Inspectorette
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To: marshmallow

Oh how I remember the caretaker in our tiny little church going down in the basement during service and stoking the wood furnace there.

It was so dang hot in there everyone was roasting.

My dad used to fall asleep and the preacher was one of those hell fire and brimstone types. He’d let out a yell and pop would startle and sit back up right straight.


14 posted on 10/14/2022 9:34:40 PM PDT by crz
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To: smokingfrog

HA! Like the churches closed during covid lockdown but liquor stores were ALL OPEN!


15 posted on 10/14/2022 9:43:02 PM PDT by buffyt (Pandemic strikes deep Into your life it will creep starts when you're always afraid step out of line)
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To: crz

Lol That’s a funny story.


16 posted on 10/14/2022 10:20:05 PM PDT by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possible.)
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To: marshmallow

When they become mosques then the swedish govt will probably cover their heating bills.


17 posted on 10/14/2022 10:54:30 PM PDT by inchworm (al )
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To: marshmallow

The Swedish home church movement is going to be very popular this winter!


18 posted on 10/15/2022 12:25:31 AM PDT by Tom Tetroxide
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To: marshmallow

So what did the do before central heating?

I understand that running water would need to be shut off to keep the pipes from freezing.


19 posted on 10/15/2022 4:47:11 AM PDT by Adder (ALL Democrats are the enemy. NO QUARTER!!)
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To: marshmallow

I bet the mosques will get handouts.


20 posted on 10/15/2022 6:19:59 AM PDT by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes.)
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