Schismatic bishop consecrated in Finland

On March 20, 2010, D.Th., pastor Matti Väisänen (76) was consecrated bishop by the Swedish Mission Province, that thus expands into Finland. Up till now, it has been the Luther Foundation (Luther-säätiö) that has embodied the opposition to the humane ideas of the ELCF, but now it seems that the schism is acute.
I don't mind that someone ordains pastors or consecrates bishops. What I do mind is that they refuse to realize that this is a formal step outside the church organization they've belonged to before. Eating the cake and having it, too, has always been difficult. And it doesn't matter whose fault it is - the ELCF's for falling away from the Christian faith or the Mission Province's for being so intransigent - the fact remains that the rift is there. And someone will have to draw conclusions from that fact sooner rather than later.
Kommande Lutherbiskop redo lämna folkkyrkan (YLE 19.3.10)
Kari Mäkinen: Piispanvihkimys oli Luther-säätiöltä selkeä irtiotto (Helsingin Sanomat 29.3.10)
Matti Väisänen lämnar inte kyrkan (YLE 30.3.10)
Archbishop-Elect: Luther Foundation Breaking With Church (YLE 30.3.10)

Mäkinen archbishop elect

Before taking a vacation, I wrote about the first round of the Finnish archiepiscopal elections, and noted that the two candidates going to the second round were bishop Kari Mäkinen and professor Miikka Ruokanen.
In the second round, held on March 11, Mäkinen beat Ruokanen with 593 votes to 582 - a very tight result, indeed, but a good one!
Kari Mäkinen will succeed archbishop Jukka Paarma, who retires in June.

About dogs and people

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3 a can. That’s almost $21 in dog money.
- Joe Weinstein
as quoted by the Episcopal padre