Biskop Jonzon och kyrkoherden för samer - En studie av bakgrunden för tjänsten som kyrkoherde för samerna

Abstract: In Sweden the Sami people is a national minority of indigenous people. Traditionally they are living in northern Sweden but can be found all over the country. The Church of Sweden has a long tradition of giving church services using the native Sami language in the Swedish part of Sapmi, the Sami people name of their land. The problem of recruiting Sami speaking clergy has always been great and different solutions has been tried. In the 1950’s Bishop Bengt Jonzon instituted a position as vicar for the Sami people, “kyrkoherde för samer”, in the diocese of Luleå with responsibility for church services in Sami language for all Sami people in Sweden. It was not a territorial parish, but the work of the vicar should be coordinated and integrated in agreement with the local territorial parishes. This paper will investigate why Bishop Jonzon did this organizational change in the diocese of Luleå at that time. The work is done as Narrative Analyses applied on Jonzon´s investigation in the past and present situation for church services dedicated for the Sami people, his records from the bishopric, his pastoral letter, his diary and other writings and archive material from his life as well as the biography about him written by his son. References are made to present documents within the Swedish church. As this is a Protestant Lutheran church, references are also made to its creed and the ordination promise for its bishops and clergy. At ordination they promise that the Holy word shall be presented clear and true in a way understandable by the people. Luther had the idea that this can best be made by using the mother tongue. The official view on the laps, which was how the Sami people was called around year 1900, was that they should either be fully assimilated in the Swedish society by abandoning all their Sami identity and speak only Swedish or remain as a separate group managing their reindeers in the mountain area and living in their Lapp cots and not taste the ordinary Swedish lifestyle according to the “Lapps should be Lapps” (“lapp skall vara lapp”) -policy. Bishop Jonzon presents his view on the culture and traditions of the Sami people that it is of great value for Sweden and that it would be a big loss if lost for ever. He also initiated and promoted the Sami Folk High School and the Sami hand craft development to strengthen the Sami identity. The finding is that Bishop Jonzon as Pastor Pastorum wanted to give the possibility for a vicar for the Sami people (en kyrkoherde för samer) to develop a higher competence in Sami language by frequent use of the it and understand the Sami context well thereby giving better services and at the same time finding the work more rewarding. It is also a way to live up to the Lutheran creed and the ordination obligation to present the Holy word clear and truthful and in a way well understood by the Sami people.