This new chapter marks another stage in his journey, shaped by years of serving the Church in diverse roles across the world.
Ordained a priest in 2007, the Norwegian priest, 45, was sent to the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy to train for the diplomatic service of the Holy See in 2011.
“When I was sent to Rome to study canon law, the plan was for me to come home and work in our marriage tribunal after graduation,” Msgr. Hansen told the Register. “But the Church had other plans.”
Long Journey Home
After earning his doctorate in canon law, with a dissertation on the jurisdiction of the diocesan bishop, Msgr. Hansen began his first diplomatic mission in 2013, serving at the Apostolic Nunciature in Honduras. One of the main roles of the nunciature is to serve as an intermediary between the local Church and the Apostolic See.
“To this day I carry Honduras with me,” he shared. “When I arrived in 2013, it was ranked as the most violent country in the world, being heavily impacted by drug wars. But the Church there was full of hope, faith and devotion to Our Lady. I still have regular contact with many Hondurans.”
In 2015, the Norwegian bishop-elect was sent to Austria to work at the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the international organizations based in Vienna.
“I got to do a very different kind of diplomatic work,” Msgr. Hansen recalled. “Most of my time was spent on issues related to human rights, international crime and drug policy.”
Msgr. Hansen was sent to New York in 2019, where he served at the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations. There, his focus initially was human rights.
“Towards the end of my time in New York, I was moved to peace and security issues,” Msgr. Hansen recalled. “And on my first day with that portfolio, Russia invaded Ukraine — truly a trial by fire.”
Reflecting on his years of international service and the time spent far from Norway, Msgr. Hansen shared: “To be a priest in service of the Church, regardless of what you do, gives joy and hope, and I have always felt at home no matter where I was asked to minister. This makes me hopeful that, in returning to Norway, I will quickly find myself at home once more.”
An International Church
Looking back at his international experiences, Bishop-elect Hansen remarked: “The international reality of the Catholic Church is mirrored in the Catholic Church in Scandinavia, which is very multicultural and multilingual. Our cathedral parish in Oslo, for example, has Sunday Masses in 11 languages.”
“We are the world Church on a local level,” he explained, referencing the large groups of Polish, Lithuanian, Filipino, Vietnamese, African and Latin American Catholics in the Nordic dioceses.
Yet this diversity does not detract from its unity. “Even with our different languages and different cultures,” he argued, “we are very conscious that we all belong to the universal Church, the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church we profess in the Creed.”
“This unity of Catholicism is also an important foundation for our evangelization,” Msgr. Hansen added. “We speak to all nations, all cultures, all languages. Our message finds a home everywhere.”
He acknowledged the small size of the Catholic Church in Norway and Scandinavia, as well as the growing secularization, but insisted that this should not deter its mission.
“This should not stop us from proclaiming the truth. Rather, it obliges us to preach with greater zeal. We need also to help the societies in which we live to seek that which is good and build on the common good and the dignity of every human being,” he affirmed.
Bishop-elect Hansen, who was active in Norway’s Christian Democratic Party until he joined seminary, also emphasized the need for “our moral voices to be heard in society” and for “lay Catholics to engage in social conversation and political life.”
“Reflecting on my experience in multilateral diplomacy, I found that while not everyone agrees with the Holy See and the Church on every question, there is a genuine interest in hearing what we have to say,” Msgr. Hansen explained. “Many are willing to listen to our contributions, and on numerous issues, we can find important shared ground.”
Scandinavian Catholicism
Msgr. Hansen described the Nordic Church as simultaneously young, growing and deeply international. “It is finding its place in a secular context, in a part of the world that once was Catholic but has for centuries been Lutheran,” he said.
This unique reality, he believes, allows Scandinavian Catholicism to “offer something distinct to the broader, universal Church.”
Noting the attention the Church in Scandinavia has garnered from beyond its borders in recent years, Msgr. Hansen added: “I have been pleasantly — and continuously — surprised by how many U.S. Catholics know the Church in Scandinavia and especially how many young Catholics, especially women, in the U.S. have read Sigrid Undset’s Kristin Lavransdatter.”
While acknowledging the privatization of religion in Northern Europe, Msgr. Hansen sees change on the horizon. “Religion has fast become a more visible part of public life in Scandinavia,” he noted, crediting this shift in part to the growing Catholic presence and the cultural familiarity with Catholicism many Scandinavians have gained through travel to countries like Italy and Spain.
This changing landscape presents a unique opening for evangelization. “Above all, it is an opportunity to preach the faith,” he said. “When people are listening or engaging, a space is created for us to share with them our belief in the Risen Lord.”
Leading by Example
For the past two years, Msgr. Hansen has served at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, where he has taught canon law and ecclesiology, guided seminarians as a priestly formator, and served as dean of seminarians.
“The Church needs priests,” he noted. “Without priests, there is no Eucharist, no confession. Supporting vocations, guiding seminarians and accompanying priests will be a vital part of my work.”
“I have seen in the United States how dedicated vocational work is producing great fruit,” he said. “The seminarians at St. Mary’s know they will serve in a very challenging reality, but are still dedicated, prayerful and doing everything they can to prepare for their mission. They will do excellent work serving the Church in the United States.”
While the Nordic dioceses do not have many seminarians, Msgr. Hansen noted that “the Diocese of Oslo has seen steady numbers of vocations over the past 25 years, leading to one or two priestly ordinations every year, which is good for our context.”
In particular, Msgr. Hansen highlighted the importance of leading by example in fostering vocations and of the bishop “offering a solid model of a life of prayer, devotion to the Eucharist, devotion to Our Lady and dedication to the priestly life.”
“So many vocation stories come down to the example seminarians have seen in priests.”
Drawing on the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, he explained that “a bishop must be a brother and friend to his priests,” stressing that “to not only work with them but also learn from them and support them will be crucial for the success of diocesan ministry.”
Handing on the Faith
Reflecting on the challenges faced by young Nordic Catholics today, Bishop-elect Hansen explained: “For young Catholics, I think a particular challenge is how to live an authentic Catholic life fully dedicated to Our Lord,” he said.
“In a society that views them as strange, that assumes they will be unhappy or have opted for something outdated that does not fit with today’s world, they face pressure to simply give up on their faith,” he added, stressing the need to integrate prayer, Mass and other spiritual practices into everyday life and the specific situations where the young find themselves. He also cited “finding community and friends in faith” as sources of invaluable support.
As he looks to the future, Bishop-elect Hansen connects young people today to the future of the Church in Norway. “In a young and growing Church like ours, today’s young Catholics will build and strengthen our parishes tomorrow,” he said. “What we offer them today will strengthen generations to come.”
Bishop-elect Hansen has observed a notable trend among young Catholics in Norway: an increasing reliance on international resources to deepen their faith. He also remarked on how many Norwegian youth are well-versed in the latest developments within the American Church, often turning to podcasts, blogs and online platforms for catechesis and inspiration.
“There is a hunger in the Church in Norway to be ever more connected with the international, the universal Church,” he shared. “Part of that is a hunger for catechesis, ministerial formation and spiritual support. As we are a small Church, the assistance we receive from the U.S. Church is greatly appreciated and impactful.”
Msgr. Hansen stressed his desire to be “a preaching and teaching bishop,” one who shares the deposit of the Catholic faith. “What we have received, the salvific faith handed down to us — which is nothing less than Jesus Christ — is so great that it must be shared,” he said. “It must be handed on.”