The diocese of Lund

The structure of the diocese

The basic unit within the diocese is the parish. The diocese of Lund today contains 165 parishes. One or more parishes together form a larger unit known in Swedish as a “pastorat”. These “pastorat” in turn are organised into 14 “kontrakt”, similar to a rural deanery.

Advice and support

The fundamental task of the diocese is to provide training and advice to support and stimulate the diocese’s parishes, employees, elected representatives and voluntary workers in their work. The diocese also has an obligation to ensure that the parishes follow the regulations governing the Church of Sweden, the Church Ordinance.

Decision-making body

The highest decision-making body for a diocese is the democratically elected Diocesan Council. The Diocesan Council appoints a Diocesan Board which is the diocese’s executive body. The Diocesan Board is chaired by the bishop.

Archdiocese in 1103

The history of the diocese of Lund dates back over a thousand years. Lund became a bishopric as early as 1060 in what was then Denmark, and in 1103 became an archdiocese over all the territory of the Nordic Countries at the time. After the Reformation in the sixteenth century, the bishop was dismissed and replaced by a superintendent. When Lund became Swedish it regained a bishop once more. Johan Tyrberg is apponted as bishop and starts in August 24th 2014. He is then the 69th Bishop of Lund. 

Cathedral

Lund Cathedral is a diocesan cathedral and the largest Romanesque church in the Nordic countries. Construction work began as early as the 1060s. The crypt was consecrated in 1123 and the high altar in 1145.