Finland: a laboratory of ecumenism and Christian unity
Pope Francis received an ecumenical delegation from Finland on Friday, Jan. 19, on the second day of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and to mark the feast of St. Henry of Uppsala.
Speaking on the importance of ecumenical dialogue and providing a broader reflection on the saints and the important role their testament plays, the pope noted that “we are on a journey and our common goal is Jesus Christ.”
The pope told the Finnish delegation: “The saints are brothers and sisters who have traveled this road to the end and have reached their goal. They accompany us as living witnesses of Christ our way, truth, and life.”
“If the thousandth anniversary of the death of St. Olav in 2030 can inspire and deepen our prayer for unity and also our journey together, this will be a gift for the entire ecumenical movement,” the pope added in his address.
Following the meeting with the pope on Friday, the ecumenical delegation met with Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Father Oskari Juurikkala at the meeting called the cardinal “a quite unique case that can be an example for others.”
Finland shares a border with Sweden, Norway, and Russia. It is home to some 5.5 million people, of whom an estimated 16,000 are Catholic, fewer than 1% of the population.
The Diocese of Helsinki covers the entire country and comprises just eight parishes and 25 priests, of whom most are foreign-born. Despite the small number of Catholics, the Catholic population of Finland grows each year, primarily from conversion and immigration.
After a four-year sede vacante in the diocese, following the resignation of Bishop Teemu Sippo, the first Finnish-born Catholic bishop since the Protestant Reformation, Father Raimo Goyarrola was appointed as bishop of Helsinki by Pope Francis on Sept. 29, 2023.
