The Reformation in Sweden, initiated during the reign of King Gustav I in 1527, marked Sweden's break from the Roman Catholic Church and the establishment of Protestantism. The process was gradual and met with resistance, but it fundamentally reshaped Swedish society and religion, leading to the eventual establishment of Lutheranism as the state religion.
Background
The seeds of the Swedish Reformation were planted during the turbulent period following the Swedish War of Liberation (1521–1523), in which Gustav Vasa overthrew Danish rule and ended the Kalmar Union. The Catholic Church had been a significant political force in Sweden, led by Archbishop Gustaf Trolle, who supported the union with Denmark and King Christian II. However, after the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520, in which Christian executed numerous Swedish nobles, including many opponents of the Catholic Church, anti-Catholic sentiment grew. After Christian's defeat and Trolle’s exile, Gustav Vasa, with an excommunicated Swedish parliament at his side, refused to reinstate Trolle, marking the beginning of Sweden's move away from the Vatican.
Early Reforms (1526–1536)
In 1523, Gustav Vasa met with reformers like Laurentius Andreae and Olaus Petri, who introduced him to Protestant ideas. The king supported the marriage of priests, symbolized by Olaus Petri’s marriage in 1525, and broke official ties with Rome in 1524. The publication of the New Testament in Swedish in 1526 helped spread Protestant beliefs. At the Riksdag of Västerås in 1527, Gustav secured approval to confiscate church assets, placing the church under royal control and weakening its independence.
The economic reforms that followed included the confiscation of church wealth, and the suppression of monastic life began as monasteries lost their economic foundations. Theologically, reforms were initiated at the Örebro Synod of 1529, which discouraged Catholic rituals like the veneration of saints and pilgrimages, while ensuring that sermons focused solely on the Bible.
In 1530, Gustav Vasa appointed Laurentius Petri as Archbishop of Uppsala without the Pope's consent, a decisive break with Rome. By 1536, the Swedish Church had fully severed ties with the Catholic Church, with the abolition of Canon law marking the final rupture.
Consolidation and Resistance (1536–1568)
The 1540s saw the consolidation of the Reformation, with the translation of the Bible into Swedish in 1541, a critical step in shaping Sweden’s new Protestant identity. However, these reforms faced significant resistance, as evidenced by the Dalecarlian rebellions and the Dacke War, where peasants, upset by the religious and economic changes, rose up against Gustav Vasa but were ultimately defeated.
In 1544, the Riksdag of Västerås solidified the reforms, eliminating Catholic rituals like the use of holy water and the veneration of saints. By the time of Gustav Vasa’s death in 1560, Sweden was firmly Protestant, although there remained pockets of Catholic influence.
Counter-Reformation and the Uppsala Synod (1568–1593)
Under King John III (1568–1592), Sweden experienced a temporary return to Catholicism, spurred by the king’s Catholic wife, Catherine Jagiellon. John III sought a compromise with Rome, introducing Catholic-leaning reforms such as the *Red Book* of 1576, which reintroduced certain Catholic practices. His efforts sparked the "Liturgical Struggle" between Protestant and Catholic factions within Sweden, but his attempts to fully restore Catholicism were ultimately unsuccessful.
Following John III’s death and the ascension of his son, the Catholic Sigismund III, tensions reached a climax. In 1593, the Uppsala Synod formally established Lutheranism as the state religion, adopting the Augsburg Confession. Catholicism was banned, and the remaining monasteries, including Vadstena Abbey, were closed by 1595.
Final Conflict and Conclusion (1592–1600)
Sigismund's attempts to restore Catholicism through his personal union with Poland led to civil conflict, culminating in the War against Sigismund (1598). Protestant forces, led by Duke Charles, defeated Sigismund, leading to the consolidation of Protestantism in Sweden. The final blow to Catholic influence came with the Linköping Bloodbath of 1600, where Sigismund’s supporters were executed, ending the Catholic threat in Sweden and cementing the nation’s Protestant identity.
The Swedish Reformation marked the end of the Middle Ages in Sweden, transforming the country into a Protestant state with a church firmly under royal control. It had lasting impacts on both Sweden and Finland, which was part of Sweden at the time, shaping their religious and cultural landscapes for centuries.