Church of Finland deposes traditionalist bishop
By George Conger, CEN
The Church of Finland has defrocked the leader of the church’s traditionalist movement, the Luther Foundation, saying that by accepting consecration at the hands of foreign Swedish and African Lutheran bishops, Bishop Matti Väisänen had violated his ordination vows to the state church.
On Aug 11, the Diocese of Tampere removed Bishop Väisänen from the ranks of its ministers. Spokesman Leevi Häikiö told STT television the diocese had no choice in the matter.
“Defrocking Väisänen will influence how his actions and the religious ceremonies he administers will be evaluated. In our eyes Väisänen is now a layman,” Mr. Häikiö said.
Formed in 1999, the Luther Foundation began as a confessional movement within the state church for those opposed to the ordination of women. In 2006 the Finnish Bishops’ Conference ruled that male priests may not refuse to work with women priests, and stated that those who rejected the validity of women’s orders would not be appointed as parish vicars. The church has also refused to ordain clergy opposed to women priests.
In 2007 a state court fined the Rev. Ari Norro 20-days pay for refusing to con-celebrate the Eucharist with a woman priest. The Hyvinkää District Court held that religious convictions cannot trump the state’s sexual discrimination laws, and that by agreeing to serve in the ministry of the state church, a clergyman forfeited his rights of conscience.
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