The Princess with the "Touch"

By Else Cederborg

The Princess Märtha-Louise is the eldest child of the Norwegian royal couple, King Harald and Queen Sonja. She is number four in the succession and should she suceed to the throne - which is unlikely as the Crown Prince Haakon has children - she would make a very unusual queen indeed. Perhaps Prince Charles of England with his interest for ecology and alternative methods is the one she resembles the most. Well, after all they are second cousins or so.

As to Märta-Louise then she is 35 years old, married to a commoner, a well-known writer by the name of Ari Behn, the mother of two young children and she has renounced all claims to a royal appanage. Also she is a trained physiotherapeut, a writer of children's books, and now also a horse whisperer, starting a school for the alternative healing methods as well as how to connect to angels. This school, Astarte Education, is to teach Norwegians the art of healing, meditation, etc. and this controversial angel contact method.

Had she not been who she is nobody would have raised an eyebrow at her. However, now she has enraged Norsk Luthersk Missionsforbund ("Norwegian Lutheran Missionary Society") to such a degree that they have suggested that she leaves the established church. Both she and her entire family have always been very close to the church so I doubt she is going to do as suggested, but I see the problem with someone of her position making these statements as to her own powers and methods.

How can the church come to terms with someone who claims this special gift? Up till now they have only raged and called her names. Nex step will either be to denounce her as some sort of "witch" or simply let the scandal die out. If they are wise they chose the latter as so many, also in Norway, have alternative inclinations. They have never been asked to leave the church, so why should she? Besides, as the Bible speaks of people who make contact with or are being contacted by angels it's not a valid cause for expulsion of the Princess.

It's cases like this one that turns the search light on the established religion as such. If no one is expected to be able to do what the Bible professes as possible then faith itself suffers. I know that what Märta-Louise is teaching is not all in accordance with the Christian belief as it's New Age, but still, part of it is and I can't see why she should be a heretic for healing and the like. She is only somewhat presumptuous as to talents and methods, but that doesn't make her either a fraud or a "witch".