Lutheran Church in Finland Rejects Initiative to Marry Same-Sex Couples

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland’s Dogmatic Commission, according to the source, rejected a proposal to allow marriage between same-sex couples by a majority vote. The church meeting voted 59 to 46 against extending the concept of marriage in this way, the report says, citing the Finnish broadcaster Yle on May 19.

The church also called on its bishops to hold “a dignified discussion” and to find additional alternatives for resolving differences over the various understandings of marriage. The source does not describe what those alternatives would be.

The report says the church has been discussing the possibility of church weddings for same-sex couples in Finland for several years. It states that same-sex couples in Finnish churches are officially not married in church. Seeking alternatives to resolve differences, as the church’s call to its bishops proposes, reflects the aim of living at peace with others (Romans 12:18).

The source also says that last October several priests were “persecuted,” but it does not explain what this meant or who took the action, so the claim should be read as the report’s own wording and not as an established finding.

Finally, the source reports that in March a conservative opponent of the change, named in the text as Tapio Looma, was elected president of a church body. The report is unclear about the exact role and the body concerned, and no further details are provided.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Ukrainian)