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80-475: Bømlo ( / ˈ b ʌ m ˌ l oʊ / ) is a municipality in the southwestern part of Vestland county, Norway . It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland . The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Svortland . Other villages in Bømlo include Mosterhamn , Rubbestadneset , Lykling , and Langevåg . Most of the municipal residents live on the island of Bømlo , which makes up

160-429: A trefoil . The charge has a tincture of argent which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The trefoil symbolizes the three former municipalities Bremnes , Moster , and Bømlo, which were united in 1963. The water lily leaf was chosen because this heart-shaped design is an old Norwegian heraldic charge. The arms were designed by Magnus Hardeland. The municipal flag has

240-612: A few years later enshrined in Nidaros Cathedral . The cathedral with its shrine to St. Olav became the major Nordic place of pilgrimage until the Lutheran reformation in 1537. The whereabouts of Saint Olaf's grave have been unknown since 1568. Saint Olaf is traditionally regarded as being responsible for the final conversion of Norway to Christianity, and is still seen as Norway's patron saint and "eternal king" ( Rex Perpetuus Norvegiae ). The Nordic churches were initially subordinate to

320-598: A number of large Christian organizations were created; they still serve as a "second line" in Church structure. The most notable of these are the Norwegian Missionary Society and the Norwegian Lutheran Mission . During World War II , after Vidkun Quisling became Minister President of Norway and introduced a number of controversial measures such as state-controlled education, the church's bishops and

400-410: A population of 12,132. The municipality's population density is 51.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (133/sq mi) and its population has increased by 4.2% over the previous 10-year period. The municipality of Bømlo was established on 1 July 1916 when the old municipality of Finnås was divided into three smaller municipalities: Bømlo, Bremnes , and Moster . Initially, the municipality encompassed

480-482: A small area along the Valvatnavågen bay on the island of Stord was transferred from Bømlo to the neighboring Stord Municipality . On 1 January 1995, the islands of Aga, Agasystra, Gisøya, Vikøya, Selsøy, Risøya, and many smaller surrounding islands (population: 225) were transferred from the neighboring Fitjar Municipality to Bømlo. These islands had recently been connected to Bømlo by road bridges which precipitated

560-545: A small group of municipalities in the Hardanger region of Western Norway still use the name herad such as Voss herad , Ulvik herad , and Kvam herad . Ullensvang Municipality used the name herad until 2020. Norway also has some municipalities that are bilingual or trilingual due to the presence of many native Sami people living there. In Northern Sámi , there are two words for a municipality: suohkan and gielda . Both are loan words from Scandinavian languages,

640-599: A stationed UFO , which is still visible as of 2012. Many local youths are active in some form of sport or activity, either as a hobby , as part of education, or sometimes even with the specific goal of becoming a professional. Association football is one of the most popular sports played by the male population on the island. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of female footballers as well. Children often start playing football at an early age, and many play active for several years. As their skills develop, they are systematically graded up (or down) in divisions ,

720-725: A type of ranking system. Notable soccer players, such as Arne Larsen Økland , Geirmund Brendesæter , and Gunnar Meling , started their careers in Bremnes IL , one of the local sports clubs . Former top player and current coach for SK Brann , Mons Ivar Mjelde , had a brief stay at Moster IL. Other popular sports and activities include team handball , motocross , athletics , shooting sports , social dance , floorball , baton twirling , rhythmic gymnastics , swimming, and martial arts . Wärtsilä , Eidesvik Offshore , Brandasund fiskeforedling, and Bremnes Seashore are notable industries, all of which are active in industries somehow related to

800-567: Is 30.9 °C (87.6 °F) recorded 26 July 2019. The all-time low is −12.6 °C (9.3 °F) recorded 11 January 1987. The five months June – October have never recorded overnight freezes. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C (32.0 °F)) in spring is 19 March and average date for first freeze in autumn is 5 December, among the latest in Norway (1981-2010 average). The weather station at Slåtterøy lighthouse has been recording temperature since 1923. Bømlo Municipality

880-447: Is a lay member appointed by church employees; one is a member appointed by the clergy; and the bishop. In addition, one representative from the Sami community in each of the three northernmost dioceses, representatives from the three theological seminaries, representatives from the youth council. Other members of the national council are also members of the general synod. The national council,

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960-454: Is a member, automatically become members. This has been controversial, because many become members without knowing, and this favours the Church of Norway over other churches. This law remained unchanged even after the separation of church and state in 2012. In 2000, the Church of Norway appointed the first openly partnered gay priest. In 2007, a majority in the general synod voted in favour of accepting people living in same-sex relations into

1040-403: Is by far the largest church in Norway; until the mid 19th century the state church had a near-total monopoly on religion in Norway. It was the only legal church in Norway, membership was mandatory for every person residing in the kingdom and it was forbidden for anyone other than the official priests of the state church to authorise religious meetings. After the adoption of the 1845 Dissenter Act ,

1120-413: Is commonly distinguished in respect to residential ares . These areas include Svortland (previously Bremnes), Søra-Bømlo (South-Bømlo), Rubbestadneset , Moster , Finnås , Gilje, Goddo, and Hiskjo. Svortland is the administrative centre where there are stores, a cultural centre , schools and official buildings, and is located a bit north of the centre of the island. Moster is on the other hand more to

1200-430: Is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. Law enforcement and church services are provided at a national level in Norway. Municipalities are undergoing continuous change by dividing, consolidating, and adjusting boundaries. In 1930, there were 747 municipalities in Norway. As of 2024, there are 357 municipalities. See

1280-508: Is loaned from the French word commune , which ultimately derives from Latin word communia , communis ("common"). The Kven equivalent is kommuuni . Historically, the word herred   ( Bokmål ) or herad   ( Nynorsk ) was used in Norway as the name for municipalities. That word derived from the old hundred that was used all over northern Europe. Since the 1960s, that name has fallen out of use across Norway, although

1360-564: Is located in Svortland, and gathers most students from 8th through 10th grade. There are two upper secondary schools , Bømlo Vidaregåande skule and Rubbestadnes Vidaregåande Skule (formerly Rubbestadnes Yrkesskule). There is also a Folk High School , Olavskulen Folkehøgskule, which is located at Finnås. An extensive tunnel and bridge system , the Triangle Link , connected Bømlo to the mainland and neighboring island Stord on 30 April 2001. It

1440-454: Is mentioned specifically in the 1814 constitution and is subject to the Church Act. Municipalities are required by law to support activities of parishes and to maintain church buildings and church yards. Other religious communities are entitled to the same level of government subsidies as the Church of Norway. The church is led by ordained priests , traditionally and primarily divided into

1520-478: Is regionally known for several musical theatres and other theatrical productions performed in Moster Amfi , a local amphitheatre . The most famous performance, Mostraspelet , surrounds the topics of how Christianity arrived to Norway via Bømlo, late during the first millennium . In 1975, the island of Espevær became known for its conspirative 'UFO-Ring', a physical imprint to the ground supposedly made from

1600-409: Is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services , senior citizen services, welfare and other social services , zoning , economic development , and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality

1680-463: Is that municipalities should only merge voluntarily, and studies are underway to identify potential gains. There are two different writing standards in Norway: Bokmål and Nynorsk . Norwegian municipalities are named kommuner   ( Bokmål ) or kommunar   ( Nynorsk ) (plural) or kommune (the singular form is the same in both Bokmål and Nynorsk). The Norwegian word kommune

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1760-518: Is under the jurisdiction of the Haugaland og Sunnhordland District Court and the Gulating Court of Appeal . The municipal council ( Kommunestyre ) of Bømlo is made up of 27 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party . The mayors ( Nynorsk : ordførar ) of Bømlo (incomplete list): Bømlo

1840-713: The Bible ' s Old and New Testaments and occasionally including the Apocrapha , along with the three historic creeds of faith in the Apostles' , Nicene , and Athanasian Creeds , Luther's Small Catechism , Luther's Large Catechism , the Smalcald Articles and the Augsburg Confession of 1530, along with several other seminal documents in the Book of Concord: Confessions of

1920-878: The Archbishop of Bremen , until the Nordic Archdiocese of Lund was established in 1103. The separate Norwegian Archdiocese of Nidaros (in today's Trondheim ) was created in 1152, and by the end of the 12th century covered all of Norway , parts of present Sweden , Iceland , Greenland , the Isle of Man , the Orkney Islands , the Shetland Islands , the Faroe Islands and the Hebrides . Another site of medieval pilgrimage in Norway

2000-575: The Church of England (Anglican Church) that was begun by the intense political action and requests for an annulment by King Henry VIII . This was followed in later centuries by a worldwide movement of the Anglican Communion which later recognized in the 20th and 21st century and declared intercommunion with several other denominations such as the Lutherans, Presbyterians, Reformed, Methodists, etc. Until

2080-545: The Sami Church Council is responsible for the Church of Norway's work among the country's indigenous Sami people. The Bishops' Conference of the Church of Norway convenes three times a year, and consists of the twelve bishops in the church (the 11 diocesan bishops and the Preses ). It issues opinions on various issues related to church life and theological matters. The church also convenes committees and councils both at

2160-555: The Trøndelag region of Norway. Siggjo is a popular attraction among locals and tourists. The Lykling village area has become a popular tourist attraction , mainly due to its history of extensive gold mining in Lyklingeberga . The discovery of gold in 1862 by a young shepherd , led to several constructions being built in the area. These were built by three major companies, mainly financed and run by English businessmen. In addition to

2240-503: The list of former municipalities of Norway for further details about municipal mergers. The consolidation effort has been underway since the work of the Schei Committee in the 1960s. This work has been complicated by a number of factors. Since block grants are made by the national government to the municipalities based on an assessment of need, there is little incentive for the municipalities to lose local autonomy. The national policy

2320-416: The municipal council ( kommunestyre ). The mayor is the executive leader. The municipal council is the deliberative and legislative body of the municipality and it is the highest governing body in the municipality. The members of the municipal council are elected for a four-year term . A subdivision of the full council is the executive council ( formannskap ), composed of five members. Historically,

2400-618: The state church of Norway around 1020, and was established as a separate church intimately integrated with the state as a result of the Lutheran reformation in Denmark–Norway which broke ties with the Holy See in 1536–1537; the King of Norway was the church's head from 1537 to 2012. Historically the church was one of the main instruments of royal power and official authority, and an important part of

2480-471: The Church of Norway as an independent legal entity rather than a branch of the civil service, and the law took effect on 1 January 2017. The church remains state funded. Until 1845 the Church of Norway was the only legal religious organization in Norway and it was not possible for a person to end membership in the Church of Norway. The Dissenter Act ( Lov angaaende dem, der bekjende sig til den christelige Religion, uden at være medlemmer af Statskirken )

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2560-563: The Church of Norway increased autonomy, and states that "the Church of Norway, an Evangelical-Lutheran church, remains Norway's people's church, and is supported by the State as such" ('people's church' or folkekirke is also the name of the Danish state church , Folkekirken ), replacing the earlier expression which stated that "the Evangelical-Lutheran religion remains the public religion of

2640-462: The Church of Norway voted to allow same-sex marriages . The decision was ratified on 11 April 2016. The first same-sex marriage ceremony in the church occurred on 1 February 2017 just after midnight. On 21 May 2012, the Norwegian Parliament passed a constitutional amendment for the second time (such amendments must be passed twice in separate parliaments to come into effect) that granted

2720-484: The Church of Norway was a church free of the State. Since World War II, a number of structural changes have taken place within the Church of Norway, mostly to institutionalize lay participation in the life of the church. Norwegians are registered at baptism as members of the Church of Norway, and many remain members, using services such as baptism , confirmation , marriage and burial, rites which still have cultural standing in Norway. 68.7% of Norwegians were members of

2800-580: The Church of Norway. The Church of Norway does not own church buildings, which are instead owned by the parish and maintained by the municipality. The focus of church life is the Sunday Communion and other services, most commonly celebrated at 11:00 a.m. The liturgy is similar to that in use in the Roman Catholic Church. The language is entirely Norwegian, apart from the Kyrie Eleison , and

2880-463: The Constitution states that the church is to be Evangelical-Lutheran. After the changes in 1997 and 2012, until the change in 2017, all clergy remained civil servants (state employees), and the central and regional church administrations remained a part of the state administration. The Church of Norway is regulated by its own law ( kirkeloven ) and all municipalities are required by law to support

2960-611: The Evangelical Lutheran Church presented in 1580. All Evangelical Lutheran clergy (bishops, priests/pastors, deacons and other ministers) along with the teaching in classes for the Rite of Confirmation for young people and those considering full adult membership are required to read and understand with clergy swearing faithfulness at their ordination . The church is a member of Communion of Protestant Churches in Europe , having signed

3040-753: The Leuenberg Agreement with other Lutheran and Reformed churches in 1973. It is also a member of the Porvoo Communion with 12 other churches, among them, the Anglican churches of Europe. It has also signed some other ecumenical texts, including the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification with the Roman Catholic Church and the Joint Declaration of Pope Francis and Bishop Munib Younan in

3120-546: The Netherlands (now in Belgium). Catholic priests were persecuted, monastic orders were suppressed, and the crown took over church property, while some churches were plundered and abandoned, even destroyed. Bishops (initially called superintendents ) were appointed by the king. This brought forth tight integration between church and state. After the introduction of absolute monarchy in 1660 all clerics were civil servants appointed by

3200-409: The State." The constitution also says that Norway's values are based on its Christian and humanist heritage, and according to the Constitution, the king is required to be Lutheran. The government still provides funding for the church as it does with other faith-based institutions, but the responsibility for appointing bishops and provosts now rests with the church instead of the government. Prior to 1997,

3280-529: The activities of the Church of Norway and municipal authorities are represented in its local bodies. The amendment was a result of a compromise from 2008. Minister of Church Affairs Trond Giske then emphasized that the Church of Norway remains Norway's state church , stating that "the state church is retained. Neither the Labour Party nor the Centre Party had a mandate to agree to separate church and state." Of

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3360-497: The appointments of parish priests and residing chaplains was also the responsibility of the government, but the church was granted the right to hire such clergy directly with the new Church Law of 1997. The 2012 amendment implies that the church's own governing bodies, rather than the Council of State , appoints bishops. The government and the parliament no longer have an oversight function with regard to day-to-day doctrinal issues, although

3440-534: The church as "Norway's people's church" ( Norges Folkekirke ), with a new provision that is almost a verbatim copy of the provision for the Danish state church ( folkekirken ) in the Constitution of Denmark ; the Minister of Church Affairs Trond Giske stressed that the reform meant that "the state church is retained", On 27 May 2016 Stortinget ( Parliament of Norway ) approved a new legislative act to establish

3520-502: The city of Lund , Sweden , in 2016. As of 2017 the church is legally independent of the government. According to the constitution it serves as the "people's church" in the Kingdom of Norway . Until 1969, the church's name for administrative purposes was simply the "State Church" or sometimes just "the Church", whereas the constitution described it as the "Evangelical-Lutheran Church". A constitutional amendment of 21 May 2012 designates

3600-432: The council has been known as a herredstrye , using the old name for a municipality. H Church of Norway The Church of Norway ( Bokmål : Den norske kirke , Nynorsk : Den norske kyrkja , Northern Sami : Norgga girku , Southern Sami : Nöörjen gærhkoe ) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway . The church became

3680-516: The east with a high percentage of Christians devoted to at least three different christian denominations . At 474 metres (1,555 ft) in height, the mountain Siggjo is the highest mountain on the island of Bømlo. The rocks on Siggjo contain large amounts of the igneous rock rhyolite , which was used in the Stone Age to create armament and tools . They have found rhyolite from Siggjo as far north as

3760-461: The end of the Early Middle Ages and was part of Western Christianity , acknowledging papal authority until the 16th century. The Roman Catholic Church exercised a significant degree of sovereignty in Norway and essentially shared power with the King of Norway as the secular ruler. The Lutheran reformation in Denmark–Norway in 1536–1537 broke ties with the Holy See , around two decades after

3840-578: The entrance to the Hardangerfjorden , south of the Selbjørnsfjorden , and west of the Stokksundet . The Innværfjorden is a small fjord that cuts into the island of Bømlo around the village of Rubbestadneset . The large island of Stord lies to the east. Bømlo is connected to Stord by the Triangle Link , which has made transportation to and from the municipality easier and more effective. Bømlo

3920-481: The executive body of the synod, is convened five times a year and comprises 15 members, of whom ten are lay members, four are clergy and one is the presiding bishop. It prepares matters for decision-making elsewhere and puts those decisions into effect. The council also has working and ad hoc groups, addressing issues such as church service, education and youth issues. The Council on Ecumenical and International Relations deals with international and ecumenical matters, and

4000-483: The first of which is related to the Norwegian words sokn and sogn (a parish). The second term is related to the Norwegian word gjeld ( prestegjeld ). Lule Sámi likewise has two words for municipalities: suohkan and giellda . The Southern Sámi word is tjïelte . Each municipality has its own governmental leaders: the mayor ( ordfører   ( Bokmål ) or ordførar   ( Nynorsk ) ) and

4080-595: The government parties, the Labour Party and the Centre Party supported a continued state church, while only the Socialist Left Party preferred a separation of church and state, although all parties eventually voted for the 2008 compromise. The final amendment passed by a vote of 162–3. The three dissenting votes, Lundteigen , Ramsøy , and Toppe , were all from the Centre Party . Though still supported by

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4160-670: The king, but theological issues were left to the hierarchy of bishops and other clergy. When Norway regained national independence from Denmark in 1814, the Norwegian Constitution recognized the Lutheran church as the state church. The pietism movement in Norway (embodied to a great extent by the Haugean movement fostered by Hans Nielsen Hauge ) has served to reduce the distance between laity and clergy in Norway. In 1842, lay congregational meetings were accepted in church life, though initially with limited influence. In following years,

4240-478: The late 20th century and thus held the status of embetsmann (higher civil servant appointed by the King). Prior to 2000 ordination required the theological civil servant examination ( cand.theol. ) that required six years of university studies, but from 2000 other equivalent degrees may also be accepted for certain applicants over the age of 35 with relevant experience. Norway was gradually Christianized beginning at

4320-665: The liturgy for High Mass: (If there is a baptism it together with the Apostles' Creed may take place here or after the Sermon) (If there is no Communion, i.e., the Eucharist , the service concludes with the Lord's Prayer, an optional Offering, the Blessing and a moment of silent prayer) The Church of Norway traces its origins to the introduction of Christianity to Norway in the 9th century. Norway

4400-589: The majority of the land in the municipality. Bømlo was actively involved in the Shetland bus operation during the Second World War . A 23-year-old male from Bømlo, Nils Nesse , was the first of the Shetland Bus men to be killed. The 247-square-kilometre (95 sq mi) municipality is the 289th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Bømlo is the 97th most populous municipality in Norway with

4480-483: The mining constructions, there was also built two hotels, one hotelship , several bakeries , and a number of retail stores. Mining activity started in 1882 and ended in 1910, lasting more than 25 years. Bømlo, facing the North Sea , has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb, marine west coast), with few temperature extremes. The wettest season is September – January, and the driest is April–July. The all-time high temperature

4560-492: The modern era, the Church of Norway was not only a religious organisation but also one of the most important instruments of royal power and official authority, and an important part of the state administration, especially at the local and regional levels. The church professes to be "truly Catholic, truly Reformed, truly Evangelical" in the Evangelical Lutheran tradition of Western Christian faith, with its foundation on

4640-407: The municipal transfer. The municipality is named after the main island of Bømlo ( Old Norse : Bymbil ). The name is possibly derived from the word bembel which means "navel" or "stomach", referring to the "thick" or "swollen" mountain formation of Siggjo. Another possibility is that the name is referring to Bǫmburr , the name of a mythological Norse dwarf . Historically, the name of

4720-425: The municipality was spelled Bømmel . On 3 November 1917, a royal resolution changed the spelling of the name of the municipality to Bømlo . The coat of arms was granted on 29 February 1980. The official blazon is " Gules , a sea-leaf argent " ( Norwegian : Eit kvitt sjøblad på raud botn ). This means the arms have a red field (background) and the charge is the leaf of a water lily interlaced with

4800-522: The national level (such as the Doctrinal Commission ( Den norske kirkes lærenemnd ), and at diocesan and local levels, addressing specific issues related to education, ecumenical matters, the Sami minority and youth. There are 1,600 Church of Norway churches and chapels. Parish work is led by a priest and an elected parish council. There are more than 1,200 clergy (in 2007, 21% were women ministers) in

4880-595: The ocean. This, as well as tourism and agriculture, constitutes the main industries of Bømlo. The economy of Bømlo is largely sustained by Eidesvik Offshore, Wärtsilä, fishing industry , tourism and general offshore related work. There are several schools in the area. They are all named according to their geographical locations , and include Svortland, Gilje, Meling, Folderøy, Våge, Håvik, and Espevær, which comprises students from 1st through 7th grade. Rubbestadneset, Moster, and Hillestveit have students from 1st through 10th grade. Bremnes Ungdomsskule, often abbreviated BUS ,

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4960-455: The parish as an independent public institution. The Minister of Church Affairs, Trond Giske , was responsible for proposing the 2012 amendments, explaining that "the state church is retained". An act approved in 2016 created the Church of Norway as an independent legal entity, effective from 1 January 2017. The church has an episcopal-synodal structure, with 1,284 parishes, 106 deaneries, 11 dioceses and, since 2 October 2011, one area under

5040-496: The population attends church services or other religious meetings more than once a month. Baptism of infants fell from 96.8% in 1960 to 51.4% in 2019, while the proportion of confirmands fell from 93% in 1960 to 54.4% in 2019. The proportion of weddings to be celebrated in the Church of Norway fell from 85.2% in 1960 to 31.3% in 2019. In 2019 85.5% of all funerals took place in the Church of Norway. A survey conducted by Gallup International in 65 countries in 2005 found that Norway

5120-405: The priesthood. In 2008, the Norwegian Parliament voted to establish same-sex civil marriages, and the bishops allowed prayers for same-sex couples. In 2014, a proposed liturgy for same-sex marriages was rejected by the general synod. This question created much unrest in the Church of Norway and seems to serve as a trigger for conversions to independent congregations and other churches. In 2015,

5200-475: The ranks chaplain , parish priest ( sogneprest ) who was traditionally the head of a parish ( prestegjeld ; literally area that owes allegiance to a priest), provost ( prost ) and bishop . Today more priests may hold the title parish priest, while some priests who work directly under a provost are known as provostship priest ( prostiprest ). All priests were appointed by the King-in-Council until

5280-610: The same design as the coat of arms. The Church of Norway has four parishes ( sokn ) within the municipality of Bømlo. It is part of the Sunnhordland prosti ( deanery ) in the Diocese of Bjørgvin . The municipality includes about 900 islands, islets, and skerries, although most are very small and uninhabited. The main island is also called Bømlo , and other notable islands in Bømlo municipality include Moster , Otterøya , Spyssøya , Goddo , and Espevær . The municipality lies north of

5360-400: The singing of hymns accompanied by organ music is central. A priest (often with lay assistants) celebrates the service, wearing an alb and stole . In addition, a chasuble is worn by the priest during the Eucharist and, increasingly, during the whole service. The Church of Norway baptises children, usually infants and usually as part of ordinary Sunday services. This is a summary of

5440-411: The southern part of the island of Bømlo and it had a population of 1,217. During the 1960s, there were many municipal mergers across Norway due to the work of the Schei Committee . On 1 January 1963, the municipalities of Bremnes (population: 4,829) and Moster (population: 1,834) were merged with Bømlo (population: 1,463) which together formed a new, larger municipality called Bømlo. On 1 January 1970,

5520-638: The start of the Protestant Reformation . It later resulted in the separation of the Catholic Church dioceses in Norway and throughout Scandinavia and establishment of a state church intimately integrated with the state and completely subject to royal authority, with the King as Head of the Church on Earth instead of the Pope/Bishop of Rome. This action followed the example set earlier in the reformation of

5600-468: The state Church of Norway as of the end of 2019, a 1.2% drop compared to the year before and down about 11% from ten years earlier. However, only 20% of Norwegians say that religion occupies an important place in their life (according to a recent Gallup poll ), making Norway one of the most secular countries of the world (only in Estonia , Sweden and Denmark were the percentages of people who considered religion to be important lower), and only about 3% of

5680-409: The state administration; local government was based on the church's parishes with significant official responsibility held by the parish priest. In the 19th and 20th centuries it gradually ceded most administrative functions to the secular civil service. The modern Constitution of Norway describes the church as the country's " people's church " and requires the King of Norway to be a member. It

5760-487: The state church retained its legally privileged position, while minority religious congregations such as Catholics were allowed to establish themselves in Norway and were legally termed "dissenters" (i.e. from the government-sanctioned Lutheran state religion). Church employees were civil servants from the Reformation until 2017, when the church became a legal entity separate from the state administration. The Church of Norway

5840-409: The supervision of the Preses . The dioceses are, according to the rank of the five historic sees and then according to age: The General Synod of the Church of Norway, which convenes once a year, is the highest representative body of the church. It consists of 85 representatives, of whom seven or eight are sent from each of the dioceses. Of these, four are lay members appointed by the congregations; one

5920-467: The vast majority of the clergy disassociated themselves from the government in the Foundations of the Church ( Kirkens Grunn ) declaration of Easter 1942, stating that they would function only as pastors for their congregations, not as civil servants. The bishops were interned with deposed clergy and theological candidates from 1943, but congregational life continued more or less as usual. For three years

6000-679: Was Christianized as a result of missions from both the British Isles (by Haakon I of Norway and Olaf I of Norway ), and from the Continent (by Ansgar ). It took several hundred years to complete the Christianization, culminating on 29 July 1030 with the Battle of Stiklestad , when King Olaf II of Norway was killed. One year later, on 3 August 1031, he was canonised in Nidaros by Bishop Grimkell , and

6080-534: Was approved by the Storting on 16 July 1845 to allow the establishment of alternative religious (Christian) bodies. This act was replaced in 1969 by Lov om trudomssamfunn og ymist anna . Until 2012, the constitutional head of the church was the King of Norway , who is obliged to profess himself a Lutheran. After the constitutional amendment of 21 May 2012, the church is self-governed with regard to doctrinal issues and appointment of clergy. The Church of Norway

6160-870: Was officially opened on the latter date by king Harald V of Norway . The system includes the Bømlafjord Tunnel , the Bømla Bridge , and the Stord Bridge . The Norwegian County Road 542 is one of the main roads in Bømlo. There is also a ferry that goes from Langevåg to Buavåg in Sveio, connecting the southern part of Bømlo to the mainland. List of municipalities of Norway Municipalities are responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services , senior citizen services, welfare and other social services , zoning , economic development , and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality

6240-560: Was subject to legislation, including its budgets, passed by the Storting, and its central administrative functions were carried out by the Royal Ministry of Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs until 2017. Bishops and priests were civil servants also after the 2012 constitutional reform. Each parish has an autonomous administration. The state itself does not administer church buildings; buildings and adjacent land instead belong to

6320-541: Was the island of Selja on the northwest coast, with its memories of Saint Sunniva and its three monastery churches with Celtic influence, similar to Skellig Michael . The Reformation in Norway was accomplished by force in 1537 when Christian III of Denmark and Norway declared Lutheranism as the official religion of Norway and Denmark, sending the Roman Catholic archbishop, Olav Engelbrektsson , into exile in Lier in

6400-524: Was the least religious among the Western countries surveyed, with only 36% of the population considering themselves religious, 9% considering themselves atheist, and 46% considering themselves "neither religious nor atheist". In spite of the relatively low level of religious practice in Norwegian society, the local clergy often play important social roles outside their spiritual and liturgical responsibilities. By law all children who have at least one parent who

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