Carina Hedman and her husband had recently moved into the over 100-year-old house in Hälsingland and were in the process of realizing the dream of renovating the old house. Then the thought struck her – she wanted to have her home blessed.
I told my husband that it would be incredibly nice if the house, where so many people have lived and which we now manage for a while, could be blessed, she says.
She is herself a deacon and well acquainted with the fact that priests can give blessings, but house blessings were something she had only heard of.
I felt like "why not". In this world we live in with conflicts, chaos and unrest, then we may need to turn to what is bright, she says.
During birthday celebrations
In her case, the house blessing took place in connection with a birthday and Midsummer celebration. She describes it as a both festive and very nice moment. The priest who did it was a good friend and he got "free hands". It resulted in him talking about what a house and a home are, walking around in different rooms, praying for the house and for those who live there and splashing water.
We were people between 6 and 88 years old and it was solemn, heartfelt and joyful. Many said that this should be a routine when you move to a new place, says Carina Hedman.
To have a home or house blessed is not something new in Christian practice, but it has not been particularly prominent. In the Catholic faith, home blessings are a common feature. In some traditions, it is done annually in connection with Epiphany. In other religions, it can also be about exorcism and clearing out evil forces.
In the Sami and Tornedalian tradition that exists in the surroundings where I operate, it has been more present, says Stefan Aro, priest in the cathedral parish in Luleå.
He has, together with two priest colleagues, now written a motion to the church meeting that home blessings should be formalized. They want to see an arrangement for these in the same way as there is for baptism and funeral services. Today, it is up to the priest to design them.
Occult contexts
In their motion, the three write that priests and deacons meet people who carry spiritual experiences from new religious currents. "Anxiety, fear, sleep disorders and anxiety often follow engagement in occult contexts. In extreme cases, compulsive actions or paranormal activities can be triggered and also affect the home environment negatively."
It happens that we meet people who have sought spirituality that is not found in the traditional Swedish churches, it can be about séances or that someone through a medium has sought contact with the dead, which can arouse more anxiety and make the home feel like an insecure place. Then they wish for a home blessing, says Stefan Aro.
With a more formal arrangement, priests and deacons can also be offered further education in "liberation service and soul care that meets occultism and new spirituality", according to the motion.
We believe that it can give more courage to Swedish church priests to dare to deepen themselves in spiritual guidance, says Stefan Aro.
That the interest in spirituality in general is increasing is noticed not only within the Swedish Church. Sara Duppils is a psychologist of religion and researches, among other things, spirituality and contemporary views on life at the University of Gävle. According to her, humans have a fundamental need for some form of religious-like community. It can be about a community, new spirituality, but also about sport, politics or other groups.
A narrow church
Earlier in history, it has been seen that people turn to religion in times of war and unrest.
Duppils meets people with different religious and spiritual beliefs and thinks that the Swedish Church would benefit from being more open and broadening its view on spirituality. She means that a too strict and uptight church scares away those who have a more individual view of faith.
Some churches have introduced yoga and meditation, but I think they would become better for everyone if they opened up more. Today, many have their own view on life that is shaped from growing up, popular culture, and religion. Some are Christians but do not feel that they are treated well, she says.
As an example, she mentions angels, which also occur in "house cleansing" in some circles.
They come from Christian mythology, but are not at all within the Swedish Church, but are instead relegated to folklore. For many, God feels far away, and then angels are a way to get close to the divine, she says.
Carina Hedman believes that an arrangement for house blessings within the Swedish Church can be good.
Clear frameworks for everything that has to do with the Swedish Church's faith and mission are good. It makes us all freer, she says.
The church meeting is the Swedish Church's highest decision-making body at the national level. It has 251 members who are elected by the members.
The church meeting convenes in Uppsala on two occasions in the autumn. The first session is mainly committee work, and the second consists mainly of debate and decision in plenary.
In 2025, session 1 is on September 30 – October 3, session 2 is on November 17–19
The church meeting decides on matters that concern the church order (the Swedish Church's rules) and matters that are of importance to the entire Swedish Church, such as the church handbook and hymnbook. The church meeting cannot make decisions on matters that are the responsibility of the parishes or dioceses.
To this year's meeting, 129 motions have been submitted. They deal with, among other things, worship life, the church's democratic structure, digital membership, and cremation.
Several motions relate to the church board's statement "Sustainability in the Swedish Church's forestry".
Source: Swedish Church
