157th session of Alþingi officially opened
Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir wore the traditional Icelandic national costume for the occasion, while Þórunn Sveinbjarnardóttir, Speaker of Parliament, looked summery in a green suit. mbl.is/Karítas
Dressed formally, members of parliament and government ministers processed from the Parliament House in Reykjavík, accompanied by the President of Iceland, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Bishop of Iceland, to Dómkirkjan (the Cathedral) for a service — a long-standing tradition marking the official opening of parliament.
Parliament was formally opened at 2:00 PM, following the church service which began at 1:30 PM.
The sermon was delivered by Reverend Arna Ýrr Sigurðardóttir, pastor of Grafarvogskirkja, while Reverend Sveinn Valgeirsson, pastor of Dómkirkjan, officiated at the altar together with the Bishop of Iceland, Guðrún Karls Helgudóttir, who gave the blessing.
Halla Tómasdóttir, President of Iceland, and Guðrún Karls Helgadóttir, Bishop of Iceland, were at the head of the procession. mbl.is/Karítas
Matthías Harðarson, the cathedral’s organist, directed the chamber choir and played the organ during the service.
After the service, the procession returned to the Parliament House, where President Halla Tómasdóttir officially declared the 157th legislative session of Alþingi open.
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