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The Church of Sweden said on Tuesday it had launched an investigation into Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s wife, who is a Lutheran priest, after media reports raised ethical concerns about her role in a spiritual foundation she runs.
The church said complaints had been filed with Birgitta Ed’s local diocese about her, and the chapter had decided to launch an investigation into her suitability to carry out her work as a priest, without specifying the nature of the reports.
Ed has recently come under scrutiny after newspaper Aftonbladet published a series of reports about her foundation Fållöknastiftelsen.
According to the newspaper, the foundation recruited volunteers to raise funds and refurbish the foundation’s manor house, in exchange for a “good network” of contacts and meetings held at the prime minister’s official residence.
Ed, who often wears her clerical collar when appearing in public with her husband, also allegedly used her contacts in the church to get donations and free services, such as IT support, for the foundation, according to Aftonbladet.
In the statement, the church said such investigations usually take “a few months,” after which a decision is made public, but that no comments would be made during the inquiry.
“The investigation may result in no disciplinary action being taken, or alternatively in the priest receiving one of three sanctions,” the church said.
The possible sanctions include “a written reprimand, a probationary period for continued authorisation to exercise ordained ministry, or a declaration that the priest is no longer authorised to exercise ordained ministry.”
The Lutheran Church of Sweden, which has some 5.4 million members in a country of 10.6 million, formally separated from the Swedish state in 2000.
The investigation comes as the Scandinavian country prepares to hold legislative elections in September, with current opinion polls giving the left-wing opposition an edge over Kristersson’s right-wing minority government, which is propped up by the far-right Sweden Democrats.
Additional sources • AFP
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