Finnish Orthodox Church

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Finnish Orthodox Church is the national jurisdiction of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Finland.

Beside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland it is one of the two official national churches in Finland. It has about 60,000 members, or ca. 1.1% of Finland's population (est. 2003).

Contents 1 Eastern Christianity in Finland and in adjacent territories 2 History as part of the Russian Orthodox Church 3 History in independent Finland and as an autonomous church 4 See also 5 External links 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Eastern Christianity in Finland and in adjacent territories

Some of the earliest traces of Christianity in what is today mainland Finland are representative of an Eastern Christian tradition. The earliest excavated crosses in Finland, dating to the 11th century, are similar to a type found in Novgorod and Kiev^[1]. Most of the Christian vocabulary in the Finnish language appear to be loans from an early East Slavic language, which in turn had borrowed them from Greek. Being on the border of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Church, the Finns were converted by both churches. In most of Karelia, the population accepted the Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Western and Central Finland being converted by the Western Church. At the same time, the difference of denomination became a political difference, as the Orthodox areas remained under Russian control while the Roman Catholic areas of Finland were incorporated in the forming Swedish realm.

The Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Karelia came under attack when Sweden conquered large parts of it, Ingermanland and Estonia in the 17th century. The Lutheran state church persecuted the Orthodox population especially in the Karelian Isthmus. When Lutheran Finns moved into the area, many of the locals fleed to Russia, forming the population of Tver Karelians. In the more remote areas of Eastern Finland, the Eastern Orthodox Christianity survived better, however.

[edit] History as part of the Russian Orthodox Church

In 1809, Finland was annexed by Russia, a country professing the Orthodox faith. Finland, however, became autonomous with an established Lutheran church. Eastern Orthodox Christianity gained, nonetheless, a recognised status in Finland during Russian rule in the 19th century. Most importantly, all persons confessing Orthodox faith were bound by the Orthodox family law. In areas where Orthodox faith was not indigenous, Helsinki, Viipuri and the Karelian Isthmus, Orthodoxy was associated with Russians, the bulk of whom was made up of Russian troops permanently stationed in Finland. In the cities of Helsinki, Turku and Viipuri, there were also a number of Russian emigrants, most of whom were merchants or craftsmen. Most ecclestialistical activity outside Karelia centered around garrison churches. In the rural countryside of Karelia, the local form of Orthodox faith remained somewhat primitive, incorporating many features of older religious practices well into 1930's.

A separate Finnish episcopate with a leading archbishop was established in 1892 under the Russian Orthodox Church.

[edit] History in independent Finland and as an autonomous church

Shortly after Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917, the Finnish Orthodox Church declared its autonomy from the Russian Church. Finland's first constitution (1918) granted the Orthodox Church an equal status with the (Lutheran) Church of Finland ^[2].

In 1923, the Finnish Church completely separated from the Russian Church, becoming an autonomous member of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople. At the same time the Gregorian Calendar was adopted. Other reforms introduced after independence include changing the language of the liturgy from Church Slavonic to Finnish and the transfer of the Archiepiscopal seat from Viipuri to Sortavala.

Until World War II, the majority of the Orthodox Christians in Finland were located in Karelia. As a consequence of the war, residents of the areas ceded to the Soviet Union were evacuated to other parts of the country. The monastery of Valamo was evacuated in 1940 and the monastery of New Valamo was founded in 1941 at Heinävesi, on the Finnish side of the new border. Later, the monks from Konevitsa and Petsamo monasteries also joined the New Valamo monastery. The nunnery of Lintula at Kivennapa (Karelian Isthmus) was also evacuated, and re-established at Heinävesi in 1946. A new parish network was established, and many new churches were built in the 1950s. After the cities of Sortavala and Viipuri were lost to the Soviet Union, the archiepiscopal seat was moved to Kuopio and the diocesan seat of Viipuri was moved to Helsinki. A third diocese was established at Oulu in 1979.

Today, in Finland, Orthodoxy is practiced mostly by immigrants of Russian and Greek origin, Finns of Karelian origin and the Skolt Sami. ^[3] The Orthodox Christian Church has about 60,000 members, or ca. 1.1% of Finland's population (est. 2003). In the easternmost localities more than 10 % of population may be orthdox. In recent decades, the membership has been steadily growing. ^{[4] [5]}

The current primate of the Finnish Orthodox Church is His Eminence Leo, Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland. The church has the same legal status in Finland as does the Evangelical Lutheran Church, including a right to tax its members and its associated corporations.

Unusually among the Eastern Orthodox jurisdictions, the Finnish Orthodox Church celebrates Easter according to the Western calendar. This has met with some disapproval among Orthodox elsewhere.

[edit] See also

• Uspenski Cathedral, Helsinki

[edit] External links

• Official page of Finnish Orthodox Church

[edit] References

1. ^ http://herkules.oulu.fi/isbn9514270606/html/a3.html
2. ^ http://www.minedu.fi/julkaisut/hallinto/2004/tr32/tr32.pdf
3. ^ Hämynen, Tapio: Ryssänkirkkolaisia vai aitoja suomalaisia? Ortodoksit itsenäisessä Suomessa Cited 24-11-2006 (in Finnish).
4. ^ Helsingin Sanomat 7.8.2005 (in Finnish) cited 24-11-2006
5. ^ Evankelis-luterilaisen kirkon nelivuotiskertomus (Finnish Evangelic-Lutheran Church: Quadriannual report 1996-1999 Cited 24-11-2006 (in Finnish)

Autocephalous and Autonomous Churches of Eastern Orthodoxy

Autocephalous Churches

Four Ancient Patriarchates: Constantinople | Alexandria | Antioch | Jerusalem Russia | Serbia | Romania | Bulgaria | Georgia Cyprus | Greece | Poland | Albania | Czechia and Slovakia | OCA*

Autonomous Churches

Sinai | Finland | Estonia* | Japan* | China* | Ukraine | Western Europe* | Bessarabia* | Moldova* | Ohrid* | ROCOR

The * designates a church whose autocephaly or autonomy is not universally recognized.

[edit] External links

• The Orthodox Church of Finland (Official site)
• Finnish Orthodox Church - Virtual Finland (Written for Virtual Finland by Archbishop Leo)
• Valaam Monastery in Russia
• New Valamo Monastery in Finland
• OrtoWeb (Learning Environment for R.E)
• (English) Ortodoksi.net