Few churches in Sweden are willing to take a public stance on abortion and euthanasia, a leading evangelical leader said, after Catholic voters received guidance on electoral candidates’ perspectives on such ethical issues ahead of the national election on Sept. 13.
Olof Edsinger, general secretary of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance (SEA), told Christian Daily International that, although evangelicals are concerned about abortion and euthanasia, the issues have not been prominent in the public sphere for churches.
Edsinger explained that before several elections, the SEA conducted surveys of what political parties say on different matters, including abortion and euthanasia. However, the evangelical group has not singled out those two areas as the only, or even most important, issues for evangelical voters.
A leading reason for this, according to Edsinger, is that no political party currently in the Riksdag (parliament) in Stockholm is pushing for stricter abortion laws — “not even the Christian Democrats.”
“Many evangelicals are, of course, grieving over this,” Edsinger said. “But it also reflects the fact that very few churches are willing to take a public stance on abortion in today’s Sweden.”
He said that for him personally, “this is a serious matter.”
“But as the Catholic guide also makes plain, it is impossible to use abortion as a litmus test when no major party seeks to change the present legal situation.”
“On the contrary, all parties seem to support the proposal to make abortion part of Sweden’s constitutional law,” he said.
In Sweden, abortion is legal on request up to the 18th week of pregnancy, while all forms of active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide remain illegal under current law.
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Diocese of Stockholm published guidance on April 10 for Catholics to consider before the general election, titled “Statement and Guidance before the Election on September 13, 2026.”
“The text presents political participation as a legitimate expression of Christian responsibility while encouraging the faithful to be informed, take part in public life, and vote in line with the principles of Catholic social teaching,” reported Catholic World Report.
A section titled “The Two-Step Discernment for Voters” advises Catholic voters to distinguish between the first step of “absolute values” and the second step of “practical wisdom.”
“The first step considers the effect my vote will have on legislation in matters regarding absolute values, particularly those concerning life and death, where faith binds the conscience,” the report says.
