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Roman catholics are very few in Iceland compared to the larger group of the Lutheranists who are in major number among the Christian community in Iceland. Roman Catholicism has a history of its own. The advent and introduction of Roman catholicism, its development and later age of obliteration from Iceland has a history of its own.
Roman catholicism is believed to be introduced in Iceland with the Irish slaves coming in the country. Previously Iceland was a pagan country before the advent of the Roman catholicism. The pagan religion was known as the Norse religion. But to satisfy and please the Norway king who was Christian, Iceland converted its pagan religion into Christianity. It happened during the 1000 C. But at that time paganism was still there in Iceland.
Roman catholicism was gradually spreading in Iceland and there were lots of churches also. But in the 16th century a Reformation was performed and Roman catholicism was almost effaced from the face of Iceland. Lutherans prevailed in the religious map of Iceland and not the Roman catholics. But in modern time in Iceland, Roman catholics are the major Christian community after the Lutherans.
At present in Iceland there is a diocese of the Roman catholics that is based in the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik. This diocese has control over the Roman catholics in the whole country. Moreover there is a Roman catholic cathedral and many other small churches or chapels. Some notable writers in Iceland belong to Roman catholicism, like, Halldor Laxness and Jon Sveinsson.
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