OSLO, Norway - The government on Friday appointed Norway's second female bishop in the official Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Laila Riksaasen Dahl, 55, was named as bishop of the Tunsberg district, 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the capital, Oslo, after she was selected over several male candidates in an internal church referendum.

Dahl, currently a pastor in Nittedal, outside Oslo, is considered a theological conservative and is opposed to letting active homosexuals into the clergy. She will be one of 10 bishops in the Norwegian church.

Rosemarie Kohn, who became Norway's first female bishop in 1993, is considered more liberal and made headlines a few years ago when she allowed a lesbian to work as a pastor.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Norway has been the nation's official religion since 1537. Last year, 86 percent of Norway's 4.5 million people were listed as members, although only a fraction of those were active.