Denmark suffering a shortage of priests

It’s not just the hinterlands that are lacking religious leaders

Aug 1, 2016

It is getting harder and harder for Denmark’s ten dioceses to fill vacancies in the pulpits of local churches.

Birgitte Graakjær Hjort, the head of the national church’s science and educational centre Folkekirkens Videns og Uddannelsescenter (FUV), told Kristeligt Dagblad that many vacancies are advertised over and over again – sometimes up to 60 times – with no takers.

Small towns doing better
And the problem is not just in smaller towns. The Aarhus diocese advertised for open positions 20 times between 2007 and 2016, while the Copenhagen diocese needed to fill nine positions.

Areas like the Ribe diocese and the one in Lolland-Falster – previously described as fringe areas – are actually finding it easier to fill their pulpits.

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