From convert to Cardinal: Anders Arborelius says "as a young man, I longed to become Catholic"

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27/06/2017
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With an attempt to reach all the peripheries, after his trip to Sweden Pope Francis is naming a Catholic convert as Cardinal of Sweden. Anders Arborelius, the first Swedish bishop since the reformation will be named Cardinal in the consistory on June 28.   

ANDERS ARBORELIUS
Archbishop of Stockholm (Sweden)

'It's true that I'm the first Swedish-born bishop since the Reformation and there never was any sort of Cardinal around in that part of the world. So it's really very strange how all this happened to me.'

His conversion to the faith began when he was a teenager, after many encounters he had with sisters from the Order of St. Brigdet as a child.  

ANDERS ARBORELIUS
Archbishop of Stockholm (Sweden)

'It must be a gift of God because somehow, thanks to His providence, I had met people who showed me the beauty of faith and also religious life. Because my first memories of Catholics are from these nuns, who in so many ways showed me that Christ is real that that He is alive in the Church.'

He says that as a young person, he was especially open to the idea of God. Then, one day this curiosity led to something more, a conversion into the faith.   

ANDERS ARBORELIUS
Archbishop of Stockholm (Sweden)

'Already as a young man, I had this longing to become Catholic, because I had met so many good people who were Catholic. I didn't know so much about it, but when i finished school, I started a course of instruction, so at the age of 20 I was received into the Catholic Church.'

Now he is working as a leader of the Catholic community in his country of Sweden, receiving many others into the Catholic faith after they have suffered years of persecution. He says his mission for the Church in the secular country of Sweden is a very simple one.   

ANDERS ARBORELIUS
Archbishop of Stockholm (Sweden)

'I always say as a Christian, as a priest, as a bishop and as a cardinal, I have the same message: that we have to love Jesus, follow Him and try to do His will to help Him to redeem the world. It's the same message, but maybe you'll listen more to a cardinal than if you're to listen to every single Christian.'

During the pope's trip to Sweden, the Archbishop, as well as many Lutherans, were very close to the pope on countless occasions. Soon, they will all be reunited in Rome to celebrate the new Cardinal in their country, Anders Arborelius.  

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