John Willem Gran

John Willem Nicolaysen Gran OCSO ( born April 5, 1920 in Bergen, † March 20, 2008 in Paris ) was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Oslo from 1964 until 1983.

Life

Gran converted to Catholicism in 1941. He did his military service during the Second World War, first in London, then in Norway, including the Akershus Fortress. Between 1946 and 1947 he worked as assistant director for the Norwegian film. However, in 1949 he entered the Trappist monastery Caldey Iceland and received there on 21 May 1957, the ordination. Two years later he was sent to study theology in Rome. In 1962 he was called by Pope John XXIII. the Coadjutor Bishop ordered with right of succession in Oslo and was appointed titular bishop of raffia. The episcopal consecration on March 24, 1963 gave him his predecessor Jacob Mangers; Co-consecrators were Johannes Theodor Suhr, Bishop of Copenhagen, and Johann Wember, Vicar Apostolic of Northern Norway. 1983 his resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II.

He was the only Norwegian participants in the Second Vatican Council. Bishop Gran was from 1978 to 1986 Chairman of the Nordic Bishops' Conference.

Writings

• A Hand on My Shoulder: Memoirs of John Willem Gran: Set of Two, Cistercian Publ 2004, ISBN 0879073535
• A Hand on My Shoulder: Monk and Bishop, Cistercian Publ 2004, ISBN 0879073411