Church service for Ukraine

Maksym Popil, a 13-year-old Ukrainian, and Olav Fykse Tveit, the Presiding Bishop of the Bishops’ Conference of the Church of Norway, greeted the Crown Prince Regent and Crown Princess on their arrival at Trinity Church as the church bells rang out.

Clergy and other representatives of diverse religious communities and organisations in Norway participated in the peace service. The ecumenical service was arranged jointly by the Christian Council of Norway and Trinity Church, which sees its mission as one of peace and reconciliation. The Norwegian Government was represented by the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Emilie Enger Mehl.

“Large parts of the civilian population in Ukraine have fled or gone into hiding. Many children, women and men are suffering and afraid. The number of reported deaths keeps rising. We wish to show our support and pray to God for justice and peace,” said Pål Kristian Balstad, Trinity Church’s lead minister. After a clerical procession and musical prelude, scripture was read aloud and the Norwegian Bible Society’s Bernt Greger Olsen presented the first address. During the service, prayers were offered for Ukraine. Bishop of Oslo Kari Veiteberg of the Church of Norway also spoke to the assembly, as did Catholic Bishop Bernt Eidsvig.

The Crown Prince Regent and Crown Princess lit candles for Ukraine during the peace service at Trinity Church. (Photo: Sven Gj. Gjeruldsen / The Royal Court)

Candle lighting

After recitation of the Nicene Creed and a prayer for peace in Ukraine, the representatives of the various religious communities went forward and lit a candle symbolising the call for peace. Participating were the Presiding Bishop of the Bishops’ Conference of the Church of Norway, Olav Fykse Tveit; Church of Norway Bishop of Oslo Kari Veiteberg; Catholic Bishop Bernt Eidsvig; Christian Council of Norway Secretary General Erhard Hermansen; Methodist Church Supervising Minister Ingull Grefslie; Archimandrite Kliment Huhtamaki of the parish of St. Olga (Russian Orthodox Church); Secretary General of the Baptist Union of Norway, Bjørn Bjørnø; Archimandrite Johannes Johansen of the parish of St. Nicholas (Orthodox Church in Norway); Salvation Army Commissioner Knud David Welander; Bible Mission Director Bernt Greger Olsen of the Bible Society of Norway; Vicar Per Anders Sandgren of the Church of Sweden; International Leader Fred Håberg of the Norwegian Pentecostal Movement; The Revd Canon Joanna Udal of the Anglican Church; and Vicar Inga Hardardottir of the Icelandic Church in Norway.

The peace service concluded with Presiding Bishop Olav Fykse Tveit’s words of dismissal. Escorted by the presiding bishop, the Crown Prince Regent and Crown Princess then followed the liturgical procession out of Trinity Church.