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The issue provoked a long and heated public debate. However, the Romany People's National Union and the Church of Norway's national council remained in dialogue and eventually reached agreement.

"Without this dialogue, which started in 1996, we would not have been able to heal the wounds from the church's abortive 1998 attempt to apologize," Leif Bodin Larsen told ENI.

In the past two years reconciliatory church services and meetings have been held throughout Norway.

Both Larsen and Pettersen said they were looking forward to working together to improve the civil and cultural rights of the Romanies.

"We have committed ourselves to helping the Romanies, for instance by lobbying the authorities," Pettersen said.

Asked by ENI whether this was a story with a happy ending, he replied: "In a way it is, but it is important to remember that the Romany people in Norway are on the brink of extinction. It will take a lot of hard work for all involved to help the Romanies reclaim their cultural identity."

Copyright © 2000 ENI

Read more about the state church's decision to ask Romanies for forgiveness from the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

Previous Christianity Today articles about Norway include:

Lutheran Church of Norway Appoints Practicing Homosexual | Oslo priest's relationship prompts lively debate in the Norwegian church. (Sept. 19, 2000)

Norwegian Prince's Moving In with Girlfriend Provokes National Debate | Crown Prince Haakon will also be head of state church on death of his father. (Sept. 18, 2000)

Born-again Christians Lead Norway (Jan. 12, 1998)

Rising from the Ashes | Congregations rebuild after Satanist arsons. (Nov. 17, 1997)

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December (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44