The Church of Finland synod will vote on a proposal next month from their bishops’ conference to create a second type of marriage rite; one for two people.
The ten Finnish bishops of the state Lutheran Church on 12 March 2024 adopted a compromise resolution on gay marriage by a vote of 9 to 1. Rather than opening the current rite to same-sex couples, the bishops voted to create a second order or rite of marriage that is ambiguous as to the sex of the participants, permitting Lutheran clergy to solemnize same-sex marriages.
To pass the May meeting of Synod and be adopted by the church, it must receive the backing of more than three quarters of the 109 lay and clergy delegates. The Most Rev. Tapio Luoma, Archbishop of Turku and Primate of the Church of Finland stated: “We are taking a big step to move the long-standing marriage debate forward. According to the presentation, all couples can receive a church wedding. This would also be the first time that the Synod clearly describes both marriage positions, including the current one.”
Like most European churches, the Church of Finland has had a decades long debate on gay marriage, and has rejected six prior attempts to change church law. Finland enacted same-sex civil marriages in 2017, while neighboring Estonia did so in January.
The head of the Evangelical Lutheran Missionary Diocese of Finland, the Rt. Rev. Juhana Pohjola condemned the decision as ungodly and unscriptural and said he hoped it would be rejected.
“There are still conservative pockets in the church, mainly from the several revival movements. They will oppose this. And since the bishops need three-quarters of the vote to introduce this, it might take a few years before it is accepted. But in the end, it will go.”
In his diocese’s blog, Bishop Pohjola said the bishops’ proposal was: “not honest and not faithful to the church’s teaching of marriage. The Bible says marriage is between a man and a wife and presents that as an exclusive relationship. Other models are wrong and sinful.”
“The church presents an alternative model along with this. That is against the ordination vows of the bishops. Their task is to educate the truth and to reject false teaching. They do not do that here.”
He added: “Marriage belongs to the natural law, sanctified by Scripture and prayer. Genesis already shows that the bond between man and wife comes out of the creation. They are physically made for each other and become one flesh. They are open to receiving children, too. In that, they reflect the trinity of God.”
“This is not only a theological matter. It is a question of what a human being is. Families are given to raise children. To let go of this has far-reaching consequences. The new idea of the self-identified sex goes against the order of creation. This is different from the Biblical teaching.”
