A cardinal said on Jan 22 that a proposed law in Denmark requiring the translation of all homilies into Danish is a threat to religious freedom.
In a Jan. 22 statement, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, president of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), objected to the bill demanding that all addresses in a liturgical setting are either given in Danish or made accessible in the language.
“De facto, the impact would be of imposing undue hindrance on the fundamental right to freedom of religion,” he said.
The Catholic Church in Denmark has also expressed concern about the bill, which is thought to be directed primarily at the country’s Muslim congregations where sermons are often preached in Arabic.
Catholics comprise 1.3% of the 5.8 million population of Denmark, a historically Lutheran country neighbouring Germany, Norway, and Sweden.
Roughly a third of Catholics in Denmark are born outside the country, according to the Catholics & Cultures website. Masses in Metropolitan Copenhagen, the area surrounding the capital city, are conducted in Polish, English, Ukrainian, Croatian, Chaldean, French, Spanish, and Italian, as well as Danish.