In January, the Swedish Heathen organization Sveriges Asatrosamfund achieved Swedish government recognition as a registered religious organization. The original announcement on their homepage is in Swedish, so I’ve translated it below.

Sveriges Asatrosamfund has finally become a registered religious body. Of
course, we have been a religious body all along. According to Swedish law,
a religious body is a fellowship for religious activity, which includes
organizing services. Ever since the foundation of SAs, we have been this
type of religious fellowship, organizing ceremonies and blots (which
qualifies under the legal definition of “services”). In other words, SAs
has always been a proper religious body according to the law, but has not
been registered as such in a legal sense. Now we are. This emphasizes and
makes it clear that we are a serious spiritual alternative, not merely a
non-profit organization.


Unfortunately, this does not confer the right to perform marriages or other
advantages to the association. The association is required to have at least
3,000 members in order to receive these rights, as well as government
financial assistance for services, spiritual counseling, instruction, etc.
We’re not there today. But that day is coming. Rest assured.


- Chairman, Henrik Hallgren