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Sankt Nikolai kyrka (Church of St. Nicholas), most commonly known as Storkyrkan (The Great Church) and Stockholms domkyrka (Stockholm Cathedral), is the oldest church in Gamla Stan, the old town in central Stockholm, Sweden.

 

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Because of its convenient size and its proximity to the earlier royal castle and the present royal palace it has frequently been the site of major events in Swedish history, such as coronations and royal weddings.

In 1972, during the proceedings of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the Great Church was the venue of the world's first ever Ecumenical Service, which highlighted the link between faith and the environment.

The event was sponsored  by the Swedish Ecumenical Church, the Swedish Christian Youth Council and the Cathedral Parish.

The meeting was attended by many, who participated in the Conference. Pauline Strong, on behalf of Maurice Strong, read out a message. Other messages were given by Prof Andre Dumas, Professor of Philosophy and Ethics, Protestant Theological Faculty, Paris, France and Dr Letitia Obeng, Director, Institute for Aquatic Bilogy, Achimota, Ghana.

Dr. Eugene Carson Blake, General Secretary, World Council of Churches, spoke about the concern of the churches for the human environment.

After the service, attendees participated in an ecumenical Open House in Cathedral and heard poets and pop group.

Click here to download a pdf version of the ecumenical service, which is in both English and Swedish.