KINGNEWSWIRE PressRelease // The Church of Scientology Sweden and all its affiliate Churches in Stockholm, Malmö and Gothenburg are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Religious Recognition of the Church of Scientology. The decision was issued on the Birthday of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, 13 March 2000, in accordance with the Act on Religious Communities (SFS 1998:1593)
While Sweden has enjoyed freedom of religion in a greater form since 1951 and it is a right enshrined in the Swedish Law and Constitution which provides the freedom to practice religion with others or alone, an increase of recognized religious diversity occurred since the separation of church and state in January 1st 2000. After that, a number of other religions in addition to the Church of Sweden, got recognized, including the Swedish Missionary Church, Roman Catholic Church, Swedish Alliance Mission, Baptist Union of Sweden, Salvation Army, Methodist Church in Sweden, Pentecostal Church, the Evangelist Church among others.
The first major recognition for Scientology in Sweden came from the Tax authorities which after having researched and questioned about the teachings, practices and social impact of Scientologists in the country, decided to grant the Church tax exemption on 23 November 1999. In their decision they stated that the “Church is a non-profit organization with religious practices such as Sunday Services, weddings, spiritual counseling as well as studies of the religious scriptures” complying to all requirements of the law.
It was now the perfect time to ensure the Church also got its legal rights to be recognized as a Bona Fide religion, and upon request and verification of meeting the requirements, on March 13, 2000, on the Birthday of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, the Swedish National Judicial Board for Public Lands and Funds (National Administration of Religions) granted the final registration as a religious entity.
“The year 2000, was a very significant year for us in Sweden in many ways”, says the then Information Secretary of the Church of Scientology in Sweden, Minister Tarja Vulto. “We received not only the recognition of being a genuine religious belief organization, but we also got all the ministerial rights to conduct legally binding weddings, naming ceremonies and funeral ceremonies” says Tarja Vulto.
Needless to say, the Church of Scientology has been actively involved in social betterment initiatives across Sweden, particularly in areas affected by crime and gang activity. For example, in a Malmö neighborhood, known for its high crime rates and gang presence, Scientologists distributed The Way to Happiness (TWTH) booklets, which promote ethical living. After engaging with the local gang leader, they were granted access to the area, leading to transformative changes. The gang members participated in cleaning and restoration efforts and watched TWTH educational videos, while the local youth center received support for renovations. Within weeks, the area transitioned from being crime-ridden to a cleaner and more peaceful community, a change acknowledged by the police as a significant improvement. A similar initiative in a Stockholm’s neighborhood saw thousands of TWTH booklets distributed, resulting in a noticeable reduction in criminal activity, as confirmed by local law enforcement.
Beyond these specific community efforts, and the many popular “family weekends” with thousands in attendance in the Ideal Church of Scientology of Malmo, Scientology-affiliated organizations have long been active in Sweden. The Citizens Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) has worked for over 40 years to expose human rights abuses within psychiatry and advocate for legislative changes promoting humane treatment. Meanwhile, Narconon, a drug rehabilitation program based on the discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard, has operated in Sweden for over 50 years. It has helped thousands of individuals and their families overcome addiction through its unique methods and maintains agreements with municipalities across the country to provide its services. “Scientology’s multifaceted approach to addressing social issues while fostering community engagement is something members of our community are very proud of, and they do their best to keep improving and increasing these efforts”, stated Ivan Arjona, Scientology representative to the European institutions and the United Nations.
The Scientology religion was founded by author and philosopher L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in Los Angeles in 1954 and the religion has expanded to more than 11,000 Churches, Missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 countries, with more and more countries recognizing its bonafide religiosity and its value to society, as demonstrated by recognition in the USA, UK, Spain, European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy, Colombia, Mexico, Canada, Portugal and many more.
