Introduction
The Finnish Orthodox Church is an autonomous Orthodox archbishopric of the 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 Finnish Orthodox Church was a part of the Russian Orthodox Church until 1923.
Today the church has three dioceses and 58,000 members that account for 1.1% of the population of Finland. The parish of Helsinki has the most adherents.
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The Orthodox Church of Finland has a special position in Finnish law. The church is considered to be a Finnish entity of public nature. The external form of the church is regulated by an Act of Parliament, while the spiritual and doctrinal matters of the church are legislated by the central synod of the church.
The Orthodox Church of Finland has the right to tax its members and corporations owned by its members. Previously under the Russian Orthodox Church, it has been an autonomous Orthodox archbishopric of the Patriarchate of Constantinople since 1923.
The Finnish Orthodox Church is divided into three dioceses, each with a subdivision of parishes. There are 24 parishes with 140 priests and more than 58 000 members in total. The number of church members has been steadily growing for several years.
A convent and a monastery also operate within the church.