Background
Jóhannes Gunnarsson was born in Reykjavík. His grandfather was a leader in the Althing, and his father converted to Roman Catholicism while attending school in Denmark. He was Iceland"s only native Catholic for twenty years.
Jóhannes Gunnarsson was born in Reykjavík. His grandfather was a leader in the Althing, and his father converted to Roman Catholicism while attending school in Denmark. He was Iceland"s only native Catholic for twenty years.
Jóhannes Gunnarsson did his early studies under the Icelandic Jesuits, then in Denmark, and later studied theology in the Netherlands.
He served as Apostolic Vicar of Iceland from 1942 until his resignation in 1967. On 23 February 1943 Gunnarsson was appointed Apostolic Vicar of Iceland and Titular Bishop of Hólar by Pope Pius XI. At the time of his consecration, there were only three parishes and four hundred Catholics in his country, which is predominantly of the Lutheran persuasion. Bishop Gunnarsson attended the Second Vatican Council from 1962 to 1965, and resigned his post in 1967, after twenty-five years of service.
He later died at the age of 74.