Roman Catholicism in Iceland

The Catholic Church in Iceland is part of the Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope. As of 2015^[update] the Bishop of the Diocese of Reykjavík was David Tencer, O.F.M. Cap. The diocese is not part of any ecclesiastical province (there is no archbishop or responsible archdiocese), and the bishop reports directly to the Holy See in Rome.

As of 2016^[update], there are 12,414 Catholics in Iceland, with 6 diocesan priests, 9 religious order priests, and 38 sisters in religious orders. Roman Catholics represent 3.73% of the Icelandic population. The Diocese of Reykjavík covers the whole of Iceland. The diocese has a cathedral, Christ the King Cathedral (Dómkirkja Krists Konungs) in Reykjavík, and a number of smaller churches and chapels in the larger towns around the country.

Some of the earliest inhabitants of Iceland were Irish monks, known as Papar. However, the small population was overwhelmed in the eighth and ninth centuries by migrations of Scandinavians, most of whom practised what can loosely be called Germanic paganism. Particularly through the influence of continental missionaries and pressure from the Norwegian king, Iceland officially converted in 999/1000 AD, but the Christianisation of Iceland, as with the rest of Scandinavia, was a long process, beginning before official conversion and continuing after it.

Before the Reformation, there were two dioceses in Iceland, the Diocese of Skálholt (first bishop, Ísleifur Gissurarson, 1056), and the Diocese of Hólar (first bishop, Bl. Jón Ögmundsson, 1106).

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