Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland in the context of Diocese of Borgå

Finland is a predominantly Christian nation where 62.2 % of the Finnish population of 5.6 million are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (Protestant), 34.9 % are unaffiliated, 1.0% are Orthodox Christians, and 1.8 % follow other religions. These statistics do not include, for example, asylum seekers who have not been granted a permanent residence permit.

There are two national churches, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (Protestant) and the Finnish Orthodox Church.Those who officially belong to one of the two national churches have part of their taxes turned over to their respective church (approximately 1-2% of income).

High church Lutheranism is a movement that began in 20th-century Europe and emphasizes worship practices and doctrines that emphasize the sacraments and liturgy, along with a robust devotional life. In the more general usage of the term, it describes the general high church characteristics of Lutheranism in Nordic and Baltic countries such as Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. The mentioned countries have more markedly preserved pre-Reformation, Catholic traditions and eschewed Reformed theology. From the earliest part of its development, Lutheranism as a whole has employed elaborate liturgies and ornate sacred art. Lutheranism has viewed its faith and practice as "deeply and fundamentally catholic". It is closely related to the concept of Evangelical Catholicism, which emphasizes the catholicity of Lutheranism.

Helsinki Cathedral (Finnish: Helsingin tuomiokirkko, Suurkirkko; Swedish: Helsingfors domkyrka, Storkyrkan) is the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki, located in the neighborhood of Kruununhaka in the centre of Helsinki, Finland, at the Senate Square. The church was originally built from 1830 to 1852 as a tribute to the Grand Duke of Finland, Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. It was also known as St Nicholas's Church (Finnish: Nikolainkirkko, Swedish: Nikolajkyrkan) until Finland declared its full independence in 1917. It is a major landmark of the city, and one of the most famous historical structures in Finland as a whole when viewed globally.

The Orthodox Church in Finland (Finnish: Suomen ortodoksinen kirkko, lit. 'Finnish orthodox church'; Swedish: Ortodoxa kyrkan i Finland, lit. 'Orthodox church in Finland') is an autonomous Eastern Orthodox archdiocese of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

With its roots in the medieval Novgorodian missionary work in Karelia, the Orthodox Church of Finland was a part of the Russian Orthodox Church until 1923. Today the church has three dioceses and 54,895 members in Finland, accounting for almost one percent of the native population of Finland. The parish of Helsinki has the most adherents. There are also 2,700 members living abroad.

Porvoo (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈporʋoː]; Swedish: Borgå [ˈborːɡo] ; Latin: Borgoa) is a city in Finland. It is located on the south coast of the country, on the Gulf of Finland. Porvoo lies in the eastern part of the Uusimaa region. The population of Porvoo is approximately 52,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 60,000. It is the 19th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 15th most populous urban area in the country.

Porvoo is located on the southern coast of Finland, approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) east of the city border of Helsinki and about 50 kilometres (30 mi) from the city centre. Porvoo was one of the six medieval towns of Finland, along with Turku, Ulvila, Rauma, Naantali and Vyborg, and is first mentioned as a city in texts from the 14th century. Porvoo is the seat of the Swedish-speaking Diocese of Borgå of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Porvoo briefly served as the capital of the former Eastern Uusimaa region.

The Awakening (Finnish: herännäisyys, Finnish pronunciation: [ˈherænːæi̯syːs]; or körttiläisyys, Finnish: [ˈkørtːilæi̯syːs]) is a Lutheran religious movement in Finland which has found followers in the provinces of Savo and Ostrobothnia. The origins of the movement are in the 18th century. It has functioned inside the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland throughout its existence. Formerly very Pietist, the movement is currently considered within mainstream Finnish Lutheranism.

Turku Cathedral (Finnish: Turun tuomiokirkko, Swedish: Åbo domkyrka) is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is the central church of the Lutheran Archdiocese of Turku and the seat of the Lutheran Archbishop of Finland, Tapio Luoma. It is also regarded as one of the major records of Finnish architectural history.

Considered to be the most important religious building in Finland, the cathedral has borne witness to many important events in the nation's history and has become one of the city's most recognizable symbols. The cathedral is situated in the heart of Turku next to the Old Great Square, by the river Aura. Its presence extends beyond the local precinct by having the sound of its bells chiming at noon broadcast on national radio. It is also central to Finland's annual Christmas celebrations.

The Diocese of Helsinki (Finnish: Helsingin hiippakunta; Swedish: Helsingfors stift) is a diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and the seat of the Bishop of Helsinki. Its cathedral is Helsinki Cathedral.

The diocese was established in 1959 by dividing the Diocese of Tampere. It covers only 1% of the country's territory, but contains 10% of its population. The diocese comprises 39 parishes. It was partitioned again in 2002, when the western part became the Diocese of Espoo. The current bishop of Helsinki is Teemu Laajasalo.

Johan Richard (J.R.) Danielson-Kalmari (born Danielson) (7 May 1853, in Hauho – 23 May 1933, in Helsinki) was a Finnish Senator, professor of history, State Councillor and one of the leaders of the Finnish Party. He was a Senator without portfolio in the Hjelt Senate from 1 August 1908 to 13 November 1909.

Danielson was the son of chaplain Johan Philip Danielson and Amanda Lovisa Palander. He received his Abitur in 1870, gained his undergraduate degree in 1876, Licenciate in 1878 and his Ph.D. in 1881 from the Imperial Alexander University in Helsinki. Danielson worked as the editor-in-chief of the periodical Valvoja from 1881 to 1884. He was a teacher of German and History in the university in 1878 and a Docent of General History during 1878–1880, and finally a professor from 1880 to 1913. Danielson was the Deputy Chancellor of the Imperial Alexander University during 1903–1906 and as the Chancellor of the University of Turku from 1921 to 1926.

The Archdiocese of Turku is the oldest diocese in Finland. Medieval bishops of the Catholic Church were also de facto secular leaders of the country until the end of the 13th century.

After the Reformation in Scandinavia, Lutheran bishops became state officials. When Finland became a separate grand duchy, the then bishop of Turku was designated as an archbishop in 1817. Since 1868, the archbishops of Turku and Finland have been considered primates of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Tapio Juhani Luoma (born 15 June 1962) is a Finnish prelate, who has been the Archbishop of Turku and Finland and Primate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland since 1 June 2018.

Karelians (Finnish: karjalaiset, IPA: [ˈkɑrjɑˌlɑi̯set]), also known as Finnish Karelians or Karelian Finns, are a subgroup (heimo) of the Finnish people, traditionally living in Finnish Karelia. Karelians speak eastern dialects of the Finnish language: the South Karelian dialects are spoken in South Karelia, while the eastern Savonian dialects are spoken in North Karelia. The South Karelian dialects were spoken in the Karelian Isthmus prior to the Winter War. Karelians are traditionally Lutheran Christians, with an Orthodox Christian minority, belonging to either the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland or the Orthodox Church of Finland respectively.

Eastern Kymenlaakso belongs to the historical region of Finnish Karelia, as the Kymi River served as the boundary between the Tavastians and the Karelians during the Middle Ages. However, the Karelian presence in this region during the Middle Ages was weak, and migration from western Finland during this time resulted in an ethnic composition more closely resembling that of western Finland, rather than North Karelia or South Karelia. This is evidenced by the fact that the dialect spoken in much of Kymenlaakso (the southeastern Tavastian dialect) is of western Finnish origin (albeit with Karelian characteristics). Miehikkälä and Virolahti are exceptions, as the South Karelian dialects are spoken in these municipalities.

The Archdiocese of Turku (Finnish: Turun arkkihiippakunta, Swedish: Åbo ärkestift), historically known as Archdiocese of Åbo, is the seat of the Archbishop of Turku. It is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and its see city is Turku.

The Archbishop has many administrative tasks relating to the National church, and is the Metropolitan and Primate of the church. In common with other Lutheran and Anglican churches the Archbishop is considered primus inter pares while all diocesan bishops retain their independence within their respective jurisdictions. This also applies to the Bishop of Turku Archdiocese. The Archdiocese of Turku has a unique episcopal structure, as there are two bishops in the Diocese.