Norwegian Church leaders defend Oslo bishop against fraud charges

March 06, 2015

Church leaders in Norway have come to the defense of Bishop Bernt Eidsvig of Oslo, who is under investigation on fraud charges.

Bishop Eidsvig has been accused of improperly registering Norwegian residents as Catholics, thereby obtaining over $6 million in government subsidies. Police said that the Oslo diocese had routinely registered immigrants if they came from Catholic countries, without obtaining any evidence of their religious affiliations.

Bishop Eidsvig has admitted the error in registrations, apologized, and promised to remedy the problem. The Oslo diocese has already removed 8,000 names from its registration records.

Sister Anna Mirijam Kaschner, the secretary-general of the Nordic bishops’ conference, said that the bishop “denies any conscious or intentional fraud,” and described him as “a sincere and honest shepherd.” A spokesman for the Church in Norway said that “someone will have to pay” if any illegal steps were taken, but “it’s a complex question.”

 

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Further information:

• Church leaders defend Oslo bishop against fraud charges (Catholic Herald)
• Norway’s leading prelate investigated for fraud (CWN, 2/27)