”It is critical to stay calm in a situation like this. Prayers heal and give meaning. We pray each Sunday for the Kingdom of Denmark and the autonomous government of Greenland,” she says. Renewed threats from the Trump administration to take over Greenland have caused widespread anxiety among congregations throughout Greenland. Recent polls show that an overwhelming majority of Greenlanders oppose becoming a part of the US. ”People are clearly worried. This is a question of human rights, dignity, and respecting international laws and treaties. We are a small people, but we are not invisible. Our future is not something to be decided over our heads. We have language, culture, ancestors, children, and a future tied to this place. We are people, not property. Greenland is not land to be bought. It is our home and it is not for sale,” Munk makes clear. Historically, the Church of Greenland has kept a low profile in politics. Since its funding and legislation was taken over by the local government of Greenland in 2009, it has remained as a diocese within the Church of Denmark. As such, it works closely with dioceses in Denmark and plays an active role in international affairs as a member of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Lutheran World Federation, and other organizations. As bishop of Greenland, Munk also has a seat on the Council on International Relations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. “We must cooperate across national borders, work together and stand up for our rights. And we shall talk to each other in a respectful tone,” Munk points out. She now urges all Americans, who believe in freedom, dignity, and the right of people to choose their own path, to write to their representatives on Capitol Hill and ask them to stand by the Greenlanders in their right to determine their own future. Last week, eight of Europe's top leaders rallied to defend the autonomous Danish territory of Greenland. In a statement, they insisted Greenland's security must be ensured collectively by NATO and with full respect to the wishes of its people.
"Security in the Arctic must be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of borders," the leaders wrote in a statement.
Almost 90 percent of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants are of Greenlandic Inuit ethnicity, and more than 95 percent of the total population are members of the Danish national church known as the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark. The Nordic presence on the world’s largest island dates back to 983, when Erik the Red established settlements. The year 2021 marked the 300th anniversary of a joint mercantile and clerical expedition led by Dano-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede, which reestablished permanent Scandinavian presence. Greenland’s colonial status ended in 1953 when it became fully integrated into Denmark as a county and Danish citizenship was extended to Greenlanders. The relationship with the European Union (EU) means that all Danish citizens residing in Greenland are EU citizens, which allows Greenlanders to move and reside freely within the EU. For centuries, Greenlanders have maintained and protected their rich culture and their strong bonds with nature. Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk is determined to continue that tradition and stand up for the rights and the dignity of her fellow Greenlanders—both as a church leader and private citizen. Photo gallery: churches in Greenland | 
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