Your Holiness,

At the Feast of St. Olav this summer, Lutherans and Catholics in the Nordic countries together celebrated the 850th anniversary of Cardinal Nicholas Brekespear’s establishing of the Metropolitan See of Nidaros in 1153. Celebrations took place in Nidaros Cathedral, where you yourself came on pilgrimage on 2 June 1989 – and where now Cardinal Walter Kasper delivered the homily.

During the centuries of the Archbishop’s See of Nidaros, Norway became a part of medieval Europe; religiously, culturally, administratively and politically. This was a fundamental inspiration to our country. We were part of the faith of the age, of the Western-European church tradition under Rome. The Lutheran reformation in 1537 broke this unity.

In recent decades we have seen important steps being taken towards unity between Lutherans and Catholics. Your visit to the Nordic countries in 1989 proved to be a demonstration of this new climate. It is my hope and prayer that we will see further progress towards unity in Christ’s church. The ecumenical spirit in which we were received by the Community of Sant’ Egidio last night, in the beautiful basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, bodes well for the future.

Yesterday I visited Cardinal Brekespear’s – your predecessor Pope Hadrian IV’s – grave in the crypt of St. Peter’s, to commemorate his mission to the north in 1153. I also visited the grave of St. Peter.

On the occasion of the celebrations in Nidaros this summer, the University of Trondheim published the history of the church province of Nidaros – “Ecclesia Nidrosiensis 1153-1537”. It is with great joy that I present this beautiful book to you, Your Holiness.

With the book I also want to give you a copy of St. Olav’s cross, the symbol used as the seal of medieval archbishops of Nidaros, of the present Catholic Bishop of Oslo and of the Lutheran Church of Norway. The symbol consists of the universal Christian symbol of the cross, and the symbol of St. Olav’s martyrdom – the axe.

Thank you for your receiving us so kindly here at Castel Gandolfo today, Your Holiness.

May God bless you in your ministry.