Anders Arborelius
Lars Anders Arborelius (24 September 1949 –) is a Swedish Roman Catholic cardinal.
Quotes
[edit]- We must do what is possible to involve the Lutheran Church and the evangelical communities in the common work of rendering Christ and his message alive for the greatest possible number of people in Sweden.
- Those who become Catholics really want to find the Truth, because relativism is very strong in Sweden. They no longer know what is true or what is not true, what is good and what is not good. The Catholic Church has kept its Tradition since the origins of Christianity, and that too is very important to many people. The universal and timeless nature of the Church is very attractive.
- Q: You were 20 years old when you converted to Catholicism. What brought about your conversion? A: In my childhood, I had contact with several Catholics. I wanted to find out about their faith. After a year and a half of religious instruction, I could finally say with joy, “Truth has been given to me…
- Q: You were 20 years old when you converted to Catholicism. What brought about your conversion? A: In my childhood, I had contact with several Catholics. I wanted to find out about their faith. After a year and a half of religious instruction, I could finally say with joy, "Truth has been given to me through the Catholic faith."
- Q: What led you to the Carmelite order? Or more specifically, to the Discalced Carmelites? A: My first contact with Carmelite spirituality was through reading the autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. I was attracted to her ideas about living in the heart of the Church and helping the Lord save souls. Before my encounter with Thérèse, I wanted to be a diocesan priest. But Thérèse made me long to be a Carmelite and live a more contemplative life for the good of the Church and of the world. I paid a visit to the retreat-house of the Discalced Carmelites in southern Sweden and realized right away that this was where the Lord wanted me to be.
- Q: The life of a Carmelite priest and a diocesan bishop are very different. How was that transition for you? A: Actually, the inner difference was not so overwhelming. As a Carmelite, you try to do the will of God – just as you do as a bishop. Of course, many new tasks and engagements were given to me, but the contemplative life is a good preparation to cope with the various issues and problems of a bishop. Somehow, you put distance between yourself and petty things, and you can really concentrate on the essentials – like God.
- From an interview of Jared Litke, Arborelius, University of St. Thomas Newsroom.
