Thomas Petersson (bishop)

The Right Reverend

Thomas Petersson
Bishop of Visby
Thomas Petersson (2013)
Thomas Petersson (2013)
ChurchChurch of Sweden
DioceseVisby
Elected5 March 2018
In office9 June 2018 – 1 February 2022
PredecessorSven-Bernhard Fast
SuccessorErik Eckerdal
Orders
Ordination1992
by Martin Lönnebo
Consecration3 June 2018
by Antje Jackelén
Laicized1 February 2022
Personal details
Born (1968-04-08) April 8, 1968 (age 56)
Motala, Sweden
NationalitySwedish
MottoDu är seendets Gud (You are the Vision of God)

Thomas Ingemar Petersson (born 8 April 1968) is a Swedish prelate who is the former Bishop of Visby.

Biography

Thomas Petersson was ordained priest in 1992 for the Diocese of Linköping. He worked as a pastor of St. Lawrence's Church, Söderköping between 1993–1995 and as a Stiftsadjunkt in the Diocese of Linköping between 1995 and 2002. He also served as pastor of the Ryds parish in Linköping from 2002 until 2006 and pastor of the Victoriaförsamlingen in Berlin between 2006–2011. In 2011 he was appointed as Dean of Växjö Cathedral and in 2014, in addition to being Dean, he became parish priest of the parish of Växjö, a parish consisting of 8 united churches.[1] On March 5, 2018, he was elected bishop of Visby. He was consecrated bishop by Archbishop Antje Jackelén on June 3 the same year. He was installed as Bishop in Visby Cathedral on June 9.[2][3]

Removal as Bishop of Visby

On 1 February 2022, Petersson was laicized by the Church of Sweden's disciplinary committee and removed as Bishop of Visby for breach of conduct relating to an extra-marital affair with an employee within the diocese.[4][5] It was the first time the church laicized and removed a bishop since Dick Helander in 1954.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Presentation Thomas Petersson", Church of Sweden. Retrieved on 12 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Nu har Thomas vigts till biskop i Visby stift", Church of Sweden. Retrieved on 12 June 2018.
  3. ^ Bäckström, J. "Nu har den nya biskopen blivit vigd", Helagotland, 3 June 2018. Retrieved on 12 June 2018.
  4. ^ Biskopen i Visby stift avsätts (in Swedish) 2022-02-01
  5. ^ Biskopen avkragas efter utomäktenskaplig relation (in Swedish) 2022-02-01
  6. ^ Finns en gräns för vilket liv man kan leva (in Swedish) 2022-02-01