A Swedish family has asked for damages of nearly 30 000 euros after a Protestant pastor performed a funeral service apparently "drunk", the influential Church of Sweden said Friday.

The pastor also raised eyebrows when he kissed the hand of the deceased's daughter and gave an exaggerated hug to the 20-year-old granddaughter, the family said in a letter to the former state church which AFP saw.

"Everything seemed to go perfectly well until this pastor came in mumbling for 30 minutes," the family said, complaining that he had alcohol on his breath. "Nobody, among his servers or in the audience, understood what he was saying."

"The first thing we will now remember thinking about our loved one is the drunk pastor," they added.

Apart from the 300 000 kronor (29 250 euros, 42 700 dollars) the family also asked for a refund of the funeral expenses.

The Church of Sweden which ceased to be a state church in 2000 confirmed to AFP that it had received the complaint, saying the issue was being investigated.

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AFP

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