The Catholic Church

katolska

Sweden was Catholic until the 16th century and thereafter Catholicism was forbidden for 300 years. The head of the church is the pope and in Sweden there are around 200,000 Catholics.

A Catholic funeral is officiated by a Catholic priest or a deacon. It is officiated either as a sermon or in a more ceremonial form with a mass. The coffin is sprinkled with holy water, which is reminiscent of baptism, and it is surrounded by incense. By the grave it is customary for participants to throw a handful of soil on the coffin or sprinkle it with holy water.

  • Incense is common
  • Usually many funeral guests
  • Cremation is permitted but burial is recommended
  • Swedish funeral traditions are otherwise observed