Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral - Helsinki
."Courage to follow the Law of Love"
MAY 20-24, 2009 IN FINLAND
PROGRAMME
Wednesday May 20
14.00- Registration and information
16.00-17.00 Dinner (included in participation fee)
17.00-21.00 Pre-Conference for Women, Pre-Conference for Men
21.00- Orthodox vesper, supper, saunas
Thursday May 21
08.00-08.30 Morning meditation
08.30-09.30 Breakfast
09.30-13.00 Pre-Conferences continue (Coffee break 11.00)
13.00-14.00 Lunch
14.00- Opening Ceremony
Song of the Forum: Petri Laaksonen
Director of the Aducation Center of the Church: Hannu Harri
Welcoming words of Finnish organizers: Liisa Tuovinen
Representant of the Lutheran Church: Bishop Mikko Heikka
Organizers of the European Forum 2009: Enric Vilà
Shaking hands with each other, Map of Europe
15.00-15.45 Coffee and Meeting with the church representatives and European Forum: Liisa Tuovinen.
15.45-16.30 “Courage to follow the law of love”: Lecture/ Speak.
17.00-18.30 Workshops (Further information of all workshops)
1) Future strategy for European Forum: European Forum board.
2) LGBT situation in the first Christian country in the world: Karen Badalyn.
3) “Transition in a church context: theology, community and roles of sex and gender in Christian life”: Eeva Järvinen.
4) Sexual orientation, identification and means of power use and violence in church communities: Liisa Tuovinen.
5) “My story" - Story of my life: Inari Hytönen, MD (Max 10 participants and same persons present in every workshop meeting).
6) Together we give a voice to our praise of Creation. Practicing the akatist to the Praise to God for all creation, a service which is easy to learn. All who want to sing welcome. Orthodox cantor and music teacher Tuomas Sidoroff.
7) Lutheran Concerned / North America (LC/NA) programs and resources: Matrin Scheel & Philip Moeller.
18.30-19.30 Dinner
20.00–21.00 Evening programme “Dancing Conference” in the Hall
21.00- Orthodox vesper, supper, saunas
Friday May 22
07.30-08.00 Morning meditation
08.00-09.00 Breakfast
09.00- to Helsinki
10.00-13.00 Open seminar in the University of Helsinki
PhD, Kerstin Söderblom, Goethe University Frankfurt: The European Churches and their sexual minority
ThD, Bishop Wille Riekkinen: How to define theological stand on homosexuality
General secterary, Father Heikki Huttunen, Ecumenical Counsel of Finland, Orthodox church of Finland: Human sexuality in the Orthodox theology
ThD, Assistant professor Vesa Hirvonen: Does homosexuality challenge the doctrine of the church?
13.00 Travel back to Järvenpää
14.00-15.00 Lunch
15.30-17.00 Workshops
1) Catholic church book project: Andrea E. Kruger.
2) HIV and sexually transmitted infections - safer sex and HIV-prevention: Lennie Lindberg.
3) LGBT situation in the first Christian country in the world: Karen Badalyn.
4) “Transition in a church context: theology, community and roles of sex and gender in Christian life”: Eeva Järvinen.
5) Sexual orientation, identification and means of power use and violence in church communities: Liisa Tuovinen.
6) “My story" - Story of my life: Inari Hytönen, MD (Max 10 participants and same persons present in every workshop meeting)
7) Our response to persecution - growing towards spiritual strength. Johan Slätis.
8) “Rowing spirit”. A journey to Lake Tuusula with texts from the Bible: Jaakko Hyttinen & Tuula Putkonen.
9) Visit to Ainola – home of composer Jean Sibelius: volunteers.
10) Planning group for the Closing service: Monika Pensar-Granroth.
11) Lutheran Concerned / North America (LC/NA) programs and resources: Matrin Scheel & Philip Moeller.
17.00-18.30 Floor ball in the Sports hall
18.30-19.30 Dinner
20.00–22.00 Evening programme
22.00-23.00 Orthodox vesper, supper, saunas
Saturday May 23
08.00-08.30 Morning meditation
08.30-09.00 Breakfast
09.00-13.00 Annual meeting of European Forum
09.00-13.00 Workshops
1) “Transition in a church context: theology, community and roles of sex and gender in Christian life”: Eeva Järvinen.
2) Sexual orientation, identification and means of power use and violence in church communities: Liisa Tuovinen.
3) Can male priest love and live with a man? Discussion with an introduction by an orthodox priest working in southern Finland. (09.00-10.45).
4) From invisibility to visibility. Spiritual and communal ways to establish a rainbow identity in an orthodox context. Introduction to the theme by orthodox rainbow fellowshop members. (11.30-12.45).
5) “Rowing spirit”. A journey to Lake Tuusula with texts from the Bible: Jaakko Hyttinen & Tuula Putkonen.
6) Visit to Ainola – home of composer Jean Sibelius: volunteers.
7) Planning for Sunday service: Monika Pensar-Granroth.
13.00–14.00 Lunch
14.00- Travel to Helsinki
Clerics of Constantinople Patriarchate to participate in a gay conference in Finland
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήHelsinki, May 21, Interfax - The clerics of the Finnish Orthodox Church of the Constantinople Patriarchate are going to participate in the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups Conference Courage to Follow the Law of Love which opened Tuesday in Järvenpää and Helsinki, Finland.
The participants will begin every day by attending the Orthodox service, and then going to sauna, the social movement Yhteys (Unity) which is fighting for the rights of sexual minorities, reports.
May 22, Helsinki University will host the open church seminar which will address the issues of homosexual relations. According to a published schedule, General Secretary of the Finnish Ecumenical Council Archpriest Heikki Huttunen will present his paper Homosexuality in the Orthodox theology.
In January issue of Aamun Koitto, this well-known priest of the Finnish Orthodox Church addressed at length his viewpoint on homosexual "marriage" as "the reflection of the Divine power and benign sexual source."
The clergy of Constantinople Patriarchate also intends to hold a discussion of the issues of spiritual integration of homosexuals into the Church. The subject matter of one session is entitled as Can a male priest fall in love to another man and live with him?
The church's attitude towards homosexuality has become more tolerant.
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήvantaa.fi
The Finnish Orthodox Church
In its official statements, the Finnish Orthodox Church has a negative stand on homosexuality. In a comment on registered partnerships in 1992, the Episcopal Conference stated that “the Christian understanding of a family must not be undermined or blurred by extending the concept of family to include constructions that are alien to the Christian ones”. In the late 1990s, the Episcopal Conference concluded that “the goal of ridding the society of injustice is a just one”. In their opinion, however, these attempts to improve the status of gay and lesbian couples should not lead to a situation where their partnerships are equated with “traditional families”.
Overall, the topic of homosexuality has not stirred the same kind of heated debate within the Orthodox Church as it has within the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Some Orthodox clergy have blessed the homes of gay and lesbian couples, and some have even agreed to the blessing of same-sex unions. On the other hand, there have also been isolated cases of parishioners being denied communion because of their same-sex partnerships.
Homosexuality issue Complicating Relationships Between the Orthodox in Russia and Finland
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήAccording to Russian sources, the visibly positive attitude towards homosexuality in the Finnish Orthodox circles might expedite the Patriarchate of Moscow to take the decision to establish a Russian diocese in Finland.
Russian portals ”religio” and ”portal-credo” have especially drawn attention to the statements of father Heikki Huttunen, the General Secretary of the Ecumenical Council of Finland and an orthodox priest. Huttunen is one of the Orthodox activists of Yhteys-liike (’connection’, ‘bond of unity’), a movement fighting against discrimination of homosexuals in Finnish society and churches and promoting the right of the employees of the churches for civil partnerships.
”Patriarchia”, the official internet portal of the Patriarchate of Moscow released a piece of news in July 2006, telling that neither the head of the Orthodox church in Finland, Archbishop Leo, is not ready to judge homosexuality like the Russian Orthodox church does.
In addition to this, the Patriarchate of Moscow mentioned by name those Finnish Orthodox priests who are involved in the activities of Yhteys-liike.
The attitude towards homosexuality in the Patriarchate of Moscow is absolute. The Holy Synod of Moscow cut off their relationships with the Lutheran Church of Sweden in December 2005, as the Swedish Church had decided to start giving blessing to same-sex unions.
Attitude towards homosexuals dispersing the Orthodox in Finland
Three Orthodox theologians are demanding Archbishop Leo to prohibit Orthodox priests from being involved in the activities of Yhteys-liike.
According to the letter of these theologians to Archbishop, the gay-sympathies of the priests are making members of the Orthodox Church in Finland consider moving to other ecclesiastic institutions.
The letter written by Hannu Pöyhönen, lecturer at Valamo Lay Academy, Markus Paavola and Heikki Alex Saulamo also threatens that if the leaders of the church do not demand that the priests dissociate immediately from the aims of Yhteys-liike, ”the conscience of the writers demands them to act in another way in this issue”.
Pöyhönen, Paavola and Saulamo are confirming that homosexuality is a question of church politics. According to them ”it is yet more justified to spread other Orthodox jurisdictions into Finland, if our local church does not hold to the Orthodox teaching”.
Looking forward to sexual-political statement
The question of the attitudes of the Orthodox people towards homosexuals was raised in January 2007 when the Orthodox magazine Aamun Koitto interviewed father Heikki Huttunen and father Timo Lehmuskoski.
In the interview Huttunen and Lehmuskoski encouraged the Orthodox people into open discussion about homosexuality, and to reconsider old interpretations about homosexuality, based on the fear of aberrance and anomaly.
Meanwhile Pöyhönen, Paavola and Saulamo are demanding the Orthodox council of bishops to make strictly condemning statement on homosexuality. They consider the statement of the council of bishops, made 8 years ago, to be inadequate. In that statement, given to the Finnish Parliament on behalf of the Orthodox church, the bishops give their support to the traditional family-institution but they do not condemn homosexuality.
© Jyrki Härkönen, March 2007 (The article of Jyrki Härkönen translated by Ortodoksinen Sateenkaariseura, 20.3.2007)
Welcome to the website of Ortodoksinen Sateenkaariseura (Orthodox Rainbow Society)!
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήWe are a group of Orthodox homosexuals. In 2006 we decided to establish our own peer community, which until now has been gathering and operating with a very low profile. The recent discussion on homosexuality in the Orthodox Church of Finland has convinced us to come out as a society, in order to bring our own voice to the discussion addressing us. On these pages you can read our statements, news, and you can find our contacts if you wish to join us.
Objectives of Orthodox Rainbow Society are:
1. To be a peer group for persons who belong to sexual minorities in the Orthodox church.
2. To make sexual minorities visible in the church as persons created by God in His own image.
3. To promote open and pertinent dialogue and constructive interaction in the church seeking and serving Her truth.
4. To clarify the understanding of homosexuality in the church in accordance with present-day knowledge.
5. To communicate and cooperate with other Christian LGBT groups and support groups in Finland and abroad.
As a community we are open for all Orthodox and Orthodox-minded people belonging to sexual minorities. Our activity is unofficial peer group activity, such as discussion evenings, meetings, and, as you can see from this site, writing statements. Welcome to our group – together we can work for a safe future for sexual minorities, even in the Church!
We also want to express our gratitude to all those people who have been defending us in public by their statements and interviews. With your valuable activity you have prepared the way for us to come into public as our own selves!
sateenkaariseura.wordpress.com
Leo: Rukoushetki rekisteröidylle parisuhteelle olisi isku ekumenialle
ΑπάντησηΔιαγραφήJohannes Ijäs (verkkolehti.kotimaa.fi, 24/3/2009)
Suomen ortodoksisen kirkon arkkipiispan Leon mukaan Suomen luterilaisen kirkon olisi hyvä katsoa vanhojen kirkkojen käytäntöjä pohtiessaan suhtautumistaan rekisteröityihin parisuhteisiin.
Hän kommentoi Kotimaan verkkolehdelle kantaansa luterilaisen kirkon piispainkokouksen parisuhdelakityöryhmän tuoreeseen mietintöön Kirkko ja rekisteröidyt parisuhteet, jota luterilaisen kirkon piispat käsittelevät syksystä alkaen.
- Se, jos luterilainen kirkko tulevaisuudessa hyväksyisi jonkinlaisen toimituksen tai rukoushetken, jolla olisi tarkoitus tavalla tai toisella siunata samaa sukupuolta olevien parisuhde, olisi isku ekumenialle, arkkipiispa Leo sanoo.
Hän yhtyy näin Helsingin katolisen hiippakunnan asiainhoitajan, isä Teemu Sipon Kotimaan verkkolehdessä aiemmin esittämiin kantoihin.
- Suomen luterilaisessakin kirkossa kannattaisi ottaa huomioon vanhojen kirkkojen käytännöt eikä sen paikalliskirkkona pitäisi mielijohteesta lähteä kehittelemään jotakin uutta, Leo toteaa.
Hän toteaa pitävänsä hyvänä sitä, ettei työryhmä kannattanut samaa sukupuolta olevien parisuhteen siunaamiskaavan luomista.
Ortodoksisessa kirkossa ei luvassa muutoksia
Arkkipiispa Leo toteaa, että avioliitto on ortodoksisessa kirkossa sakramentti.
- Se on miehen ja naisen suhteen sakramentti. Meillä ei ole esillä minkäänlaista muutosta asiaan.
Luterilaisen piispainkokouksen asettaman parisuhdetyöryhmän mietinnössä ehdotetaan, että "piispainkokous ryhtyisi toimenpiteisiin pastoraalisen toimintaohjeen aikaansaamiseksi niitä tilanteita varten, jolloin kirkon työntekijältä pyydetään rekisteröidylle parisuhteelle kirkollista siunaamista".
Mietinnössä ei ehdoteta kirkollisen toimituksen kaavaa saman sukupuolen parisuhteen kirkolliselle siunaamiselle. Ehdotetut pastoraaliset toimintaohjeet voivat tarkoittaa esimerkiksi rukoushetkeä tai vastaavaa toimitusta, mikä voitaisiin pyynnöstä toimittaa saman sukupuolen parisuhteen rekisteröimisen jälkeen. Toisaalta ohjeet voisivat olla myös sellaiset, että minkäänlaista rukoushetkeä ei tule pitää.