Sofie Petersen

{{Infobox Christian leader

|type = Bishop

|honorific-prefix = The Right Reverend

|name = Sofie Petersen

|bishop_of = Bishop of Greenland

|image = Biskop Sofie Petersen, Grønland.jpg

|image_size = 250px

|caption = Bishop Sofie Petersen

|church = Church of Denmark

|term_start = 1995

|term_end = 2020

|predecessor = Kristian Mørch

|successor = Paneeraq Siegstad Munk

|birth_name = Sofie Bodil Louise Lisbeth Petersen

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|11|23|df=yes}}

|birth_place = Maniitsoq, Greenland,
Kingdom of Denmark

|religion = Lutheranism

|nationality = Greenlandic

|education = Theology

|alma_mater = University of Copenhagen, 1986

|spouse = {{marriage|Christian Tidemand|1976}}

|module = {{Infobox person|child=yes|

|title = Bishop

|years_active = 1987–2020

|website = [http://www.groenlandsstift.dk www.groenlandsstift.dk]}}

}}

Sofie Petersen (born 1955) is a Greenlandic Lutheran bishop.{{Cite web|last=Grue|first=Claus|date=2020-02-07|title=Greenland's grand Gospel preacher — World Council of Churches|url=https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/greenlands-grand-gospel-preacher|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120013805/https://www.oikoumene.org/news/greenlands-grand-gospel-preacher|archive-date=2020-11-20|access-date=2020-02-17|language=en}} She was Bishop of Greenland from 1995 to 2020.

Early life and education

She was born on 23 November 1955 in Maniitsoq, Greenland. She studied theology and graduated from the University of Copenhagen in 1986. On 28 May 1995, at the age of 39, Petersen was ordained as the Bishop of Greenland in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark.Vincent, Claus. [http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/artikel/294753:Mennesker--Travl-groenlandsk-teolog "Travl grønlandsk teolog."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201200336/http://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/artikel/294753:Mennesker--Travl-groenlandsk-teolog |date=2014-02-01 }} Kristeligt Dagblad. 16 August 2008 (retrieved 30 August 2010)

Ministry

She was ordained at Hans Egede Church, the cathedral of Greenland, in the presence of Queen Margrethe II.International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. [https://books.google.com/books?id=DtS7AAAAIAAJ&q=Sofie+Petersen Indigenous World.] 1994. Page 32. (retrieved 30 August 2010) She was the second woman to become a bishop in the Danish Lutheran church, and its second Inuk bishop.Dutton, Edward. [http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=69640 "Northern Rites: The Impact of Women Bishops."] Church Times. 30 January 2009 (retrieved 30 August 2010)

Petersen is an outspoken advocate for climate justice.[http://www.oikoumene.org/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/bells-ring-a-wake-up-call.html "Bells ring a wake-up call for climate justice."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325215706/http://www.oikoumene.org/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1634/bells-ring-a-wake-up-call.html |date=2012-03-25 }} World Council of Churches. 14 December 2010 (retrieved 30 August 2010)

She worked closely with the Greenland's government to ensure the law would allow same-sex couples to marry in churches and other religious buildings.{{Cite web|last=Hauksdóttir|first=Gunnhildur|date=2016-04-03|title=Gay rights in Greenland|url=https://www.icenews.is/2016/04/03/gay-rights-in-greenland/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217232214/https://www.icenews.is/2016/04/03/gay-rights-in-greenland/|archive-date=2020-02-17|access-date=2020-02-17|website=IceNews - Daily News|language=en}}

She retired in December 2020.