Ovanliga nattvardsfiranden i Karl XII:s armé

Abstract

In this article on ”Uncustomary Communion in the army of Charles XII”, I discuss the role of Holy Communion in conversions between the Lutheran and Roman Catholic churches during the Great Northern War. One case is found in a letter from a Swedish chaplain to the field consistory (that decided in ecclesiastical matters in the army) from 1706. The chaplain tells of a Jesuit who sneaked into the camp of a Swedish regiment, persuaded a Swedish hand to convert to the Catholic Church and gave the hand Holy Communion according to Roman Catholic rite. A 1705 letter from the Swedish field superintendent to the archbishop of Uppsala reported a conversion from the Roman Catholic Church to Lutheranism. An Italian prince and a Benedictine monk converted by first renouncing the Catholic faith before the field consistory. They then participated in a Lutheran service in which they received Holy Communion. This service was held in Latin, to ensure that the converts understood what was said. Their participation in Holy Communion was held as confirmation of their conversion. Three concluding observations are offered. Firstly, that early 18th-century Lutheranism was more adaptable than often stated. Secondly, that it was a multilingual culture in which Latin was not regarded as a threat. Finally, these cases show the great value of letters as historical sources.