Even if the deceased has been a member of the Church of Sweden, the church does not bear the cost of broadcasting the funeral ceremony digitally.
Instead, it is the funeral home that arranges the digital broadcast.
According to Peter Göransson, communications manager at Fonus, the company has arranged 1,750 live funerals since March 2020. The price tag is now SEK 3,995.
Should be included in the church fee
- I think this would have been great if it had been included in the fee to the Church of Sweden for its own parishioners, says Peter Göransson.
Thomas Pfittzinger, pastor of Hagfors, says that they have discussed different arrangements within the church, but that it is not relevant that the church should bear the costs or arrange live funerals themselves.
- We can provide services adapted to the service, but that does not mean that we can also have extra staff to film and have the competence for the technology.
A maximum of 20 participants may attend church funerals according to the guidelines due to the corona pandemic.
Relatives were not allowed to join
At the funeral of Lena Nilsson's sister in Hagfors, they chose not to buy the live broadcast of the ceremony.
This meant that relatives and relatives were not given the opportunity to participate.
An average funeral still costs, without digital broadcasting, around SEK 25,000, according to Fonus.
- I am very sorry on behalf of my relatives who could not join, says Lena Nilsson.