EKUMENICZNE ZNACZENIE OSOBY I DZIEŁA św. OLAVA HARALDSSONA
THE ECUMENICAL IMPORTANCE OF THE PERSON AND WORK OF ST. OLAV HARALDSSON

Summary/Abstract: The article presents the person and work of St. Olav and the significance of his character for the modem ecumenical relations in Norway. Olav Haraldsson (995-1030) is an important element of culture and religion in the Kingdom ofNorway. Olav got to know the Christian faith and the culture of Europe and the Church during his numerous expeditions. He was fascinated by the person of Charlemagne. He abandoned paganism and was baptized in 1014 in Rouen. In 1015 he came back to Norway to become King. He introduced the Christian faith and law in his kingdom and established new social structures. However, he suffered defeat and fled to Ruthenia, where he got acquainted with the culture and mysticism of the East. Upon his return to Norway, Olav suffered a martyr’s death at Stiklestad on 29 July 1030. He was soon declared a saint and became a symbol of Norwegian identity and nationality. He later became the foundation of the Norwegian state and the Norwegian protestant church. Both Catholics and Orthodox worship Olav as a saint. He became a person gathering all Norway’s Christians. His faith, his experience of the culture of the East and the West, and his martyrdom make Olav an exceptional person for the ecumenical dialogue.

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