Portal:Faroe Islands/Selected article/4

The Church of the Faroe Islands (Faroese Fólkakirkjan) is the national church of the Faroe Islands and the smallest of the world's few remaining state churches. About 85% of the Faroese people belong to the state church. Other churches on the Faroe Islands include the Plymouth Brethren and Roman Catholics.

According to the Færeyinga saga, it was the Viking chief Sigmundur Brestisson, who brought Christianity to the Faroe Islands. On the orders of the Norwegian King Olav Trygvason, Sigmundur forced the island people to convert to Christianity in 999 AD. Resistance to the new religion, led by the notorious Tróndur í Gøtu, was quickly suppressed; and even though Sigmundur himself lost his life, Christianity gained a foothold.

In 1540 the last Catholic bishop in the Faroe Islands was removed from his position, signifying the reformation of Faroese religion and the introduction of Lutheranism.

In 1990 the Faroe Islands became an independent diocese with its own bishop within the Church of Denmark and on the 29th July 29 2007, the Faroese Church became totally independent of the Church of Denmark.