The Church of Norway (Den norske kirke) issued a formal apology in Oslo on 16 October for decades of harm, shame and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ people.
Delivering the statement at the London Pub, the site of the 2022 Oslo Pride attack, Presiding Bishop (preses) Olav Fykse Tveit said the bishops accept responsibility for the institution’s role in exclusion and stigma, and announced a special service at Oslo Cathedral (Oslo domkirke) later the same day.
Bishops acknowledge discrimination and the cost to faith
In their public apology, the bishops recognised that church policies and practices produced systemic discrimination, unequal treatment and harassment against LGBTQ+ people and their families.
Examples cited include barring qualified candidates from church employment or volunteer roles because of their orientation or partnership, and language during the HIV/AIDS crisis that framed illness as “God’s punishment,” legitimising stigma. Many of those affected reported shame and, in some cases, said they lost their faith as a result of the church’s actions.
Why London Pub, and why now
Holding the statement at London Pub carries clear symbolism: the venue was among the locations targeted during the Oslo Pride shooting in June 2022. By returning to that space, the bishops linked the apology to a wider commitment to safety and dignity for sexual and gender minorities.
Tveit underlined that while some consider the church’s move too late and others too early, the bishops judged it was right not to wait any longer.
Church reforms and the remaining gaps
The Church of Norway has reformed key practices over time—today it permits same‑sex church marriages and openly gay clergy. Yet, the bishops conceded that church spaces are still not safe enough for trans people, signalling that inclusion requires practical measures, not only statements. The apology, they said, is a step toward accountability, pastoral training and safer participation across congregational life.
Memorial, service and national resonance
Following the press conference, a special evening service was scheduled at Oslo Cathedral, with members of the royal family among those expected to attend.
The setting anchors the statement within Norway’s public sphere and the Lutheran majority church’s responsibility toward minorities. For many, the combination of public apology and liturgy marks a national moment of reckoning.
