“Never before in history, not even in the Middle Ages, have these countries had a cardinal. It is important that Northern Europe, which is fairly unknown to the Catholic world, now remarkably features in the universal Church”. The Bishop of Stockholm, mgr. Anders Arborelius, will be made cardinal at the next Consistory. He is the first Scandinavian cardinal. Interviewed by SIR, he tells how he felt over these days and states that the news came unannounced: “It was a surprise. A priest found the news on the Internet and he also showed me the video of when the Pope pronounced my name and my appointment. At first, I could not believe it was true, but, when I realised it was true, I was impressed and I felt so unable and small for such a great task, but at the same time I also felt grateful that the Pope wanted to strengthen out local Church as well as those of Mali and Laos. The Holy Father has a penchant for outskirts, even in the Church”. How will your way of being a bishop change? “I don’t know exactly. Life here, in Sweden, will be the same, my job is still there. Maybe, we will receive more public attention, because there’s a cardinal”. Arborelius also speaks of his conversion: “I was baptised and raised in the Lutheran Church, but I was never too active. Since childhood, I have had lots of contacts with the Catholic Church and I felt attracted by it, in all respects, so the transition was not so dramatic”.