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Finland

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Finland in the EU - Permanent Mission of Finland, Geneva : About Finland : Finland in the EU|

Officials in Finland say British-registered cargo ship that was held in a Finnish port after authorities discovered 69 surface-to-air missiles and 160 tons of explosives on board may travel again, but without those materials or its captain.|

Until World War II, the majority of the Orthodox Christians in Finland were in Karelia. As a consequence of the war, many residents of that border province evacuated to other parts of the country. The of was evacuated in 1940 and the monastery of was founded in 1941 at Heinävesi. Later, the monks from Konevitsa and Petsamo monasteries also joined the New Valaam 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 city of Viipuri was lost to the Soviet Union, its Diocesan seat was moved to Helsinki. A third Diocese was established at Oulu in 1979.|

After the Grand Duchy of Finland was formed under Russian rule during the early nineteenth century the Orthodox believers in Finland were placed under the of the . In 1892, Finland was established as a separate diocese with its bishop's in Vyborg, separate from the Eparchy of St.Petersburg. was as the diocese's first ruling hierarch.|

To this day, Orthodoxy is practiced mostly by Russians, Karelians and the Sami (Koltta Tribe), although it has shed the image of the privileged class with which it was once associated. The Church of Finland has about 60,000 members. In recent decades, the membership has been steadily growing.|

Highlights from the International Herald Tribune archives: Finland and Russia are massing troops on their common border in 1939.|

The Orthodox faith was the earliest form of Christianity to arrive in Finland. It spread to southern Finland and to the people of Karelia around Lake Ladoga through trade and other contacts with the East over 1,000 years ago. The founding of monasteries on the islands of Lake Ladoga contributed significantly to the spreading and establishment of the Orthodox faith in eastern Finland. The monasteries were important centres.|

The Orthodox faith was the earliest form of Christianity to arrive in Finland. It spread to southern Finland and to the people of Karelia around Lake Ladoga through trade and other contacts with the East over 1,000 years ago. The founding of monasteries on the islands of Lake Ladoga contributed significantly to the spreading and establishment of the Orthodox faith in eastern Finland. The monasteries were important missionary centres.|

The principal Orthodox temple in Finland is the in Helsinki, which is the largest Orthodox church in western Europe.|

Shortly after Finland declared independence from Russia in 1917, the Finnish Orthodox Church declared its from the . In 1923, the Finnish Church completely separated from the Russian Church, becoming an autonomous part of the . The was also adopted, including the Gregorian , making it distinct from the rest of the Orthodox churches, whether following the or . Other reforms introduced after independence include changing the primary liturgical language from to Finnish (also other languages are used depending on and situation, e.g. Church Slavonic, Swedish, English) and the transfer of the Archepiscopal seat from the multicultural city of Viipuri to the Finnish speaking city of Sortavala.|

Orthodox Christianity was introduced to Finland during Russian rule out of the 19th century. In Helsinki, Viipuri and the Karelian Isthmus, Orthodoxy was associated with the country's ruling elite. However, many rural Finns, Sami and Karelians were also members of the .|

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