New Year’s Day saw the separation of Church and State in Norway. The change in the Church’s status was in response to amendments to the Constitution made in 2012:

• Original Article 2: “All inhabitants of the Realm shall have the right to free exercise of their religion. The Evangelical-Lutheran religion shall remain the official religion of the State. The inhabitants professing it are bound to bring up their children in the same.”
• New Article 2: “Our values will remain our Christian and humanist heritage. This Consitution shall ensure democracy, a state based on the rule of law and human rights.”

• Original Article 4: “The King shall at all times profess the Evangelical-Lutheran religion, and uphold and protect the same.”
• Amended Article 4: “The King shall at all times profess the Evangelical-Lutheran religion.”

• Original Article 16: “The King ordains all public church services and public worship, all meetings and assemblies dealing with religious matters, and ensures that public teachers of religion follow the norms prescribed for them.”
• New Article 16: “All inhabitants of the Realm shall have the right to free exercise of their religion. The Norwegian Church, an Evangelical-Lutheran church, will remain the Norwegian National Church and will as such be supported by the State. Detailed provisions as to its system will be laid down by law. All religious and philosophical communities should be supported on equal terms.”

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