Mekane Yesus severs relationship with ELCA, CofS

The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is severing its relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Church of Sweden and “those churches who have openly accepted same-sex marriage.”
The action for “all Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus departments and institutions (at every level) to implement this decision” was ratified at the denomination’s general assembly, which met Jan. 27-Feb. 2 in Addis Ababa. The denomination’s church council took action at its July 2012 meeting to initially sever these relationships.
“The ELCA is very saddened by this decision,” said the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for ELCA Global Mission. [...]
To ensure that the decisions by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus are implemented, members of the denomination “will not receive Holy Communion from the leadership and pastors of the (ELCA and the Church of Sweden). The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus will not distribute communion to these churches,” as stated in the minutes of the denomination’s July 2012 council meeting. [...]
While the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is “closing the door to this partnership,” Malpica Padilla said that the ELCA and the Church of Sweden “are not locking the doors from our side. It is open for when you decide it is time to resume this journey together. It is my hope that in the near future, we will again walk together in Christian love. We will do this not because of doctrinal agreements or consensus, but because the gospel compels us to do so.” [...]
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said the actions of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus are “deeply troubling.”
“Our own statement on human sexuality acknowledges that the position held by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is also held by members of the ELCA. We are not of one mind, but we are one in Christ, in faith and in baptism,” said Hanson, adding that the relationships between Lutherans in North America and in Ethiopia “has been sustained through periods of oppression, divisions within the Ethiopian church and in times of turmoil among Lutherans in North America. The action of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus church diminishes our capacity together to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to serve our neighbors and to care for the creation. [...]” 

ELCA 7.2.13

CofS pastors must perform marriages

In the year 2009, the General Synod of the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden decided to enlarge the concept of marriage to include same-sex couples. In other words, a gender neutral marriage was created. Pastors who conscienciously objected to the new order were to be allowed to refrain from marrying same-sex couples.
In spite of this, a handful of oastors elected to apply to have their licence to perform marriages revoked. The state office called Kammarkollegiet granted them this.

At the end of October, 2011, the General Synod discussed the situation at length. The decision taken (161 votes for, 77 against) was that no pastor can be allowed to give up his or her licence, since performing marriages is an integral part of the work of a parish pastor. If any pastor can't perform same-sex marriages, other arrangements can be made.
The licence to perform marriages is not owned by the pastor, proponents said. It is the Church that applies for it from the State on its pastors' behalf. If you want to be a pastor, you can't just pick and choose.

Det är inte prästen som äger vigselrätten (Marta Axner 25.10.11)
Vigselbehörighet för alla präster (Kyrkans Tidning 28.10.11)
Backlash för Frimodig Kyrka (Karin Långström Vinge 31.10.11)
Alla präster ska ha vigselbehörighet (Dagen 1.11.11)


"It's the fault of the gays!"

Earlier this year, I linked to a song on YouTube, called Bögarnas fel (The fault of the gays). This satirical song is written and performed by the Swedish comic group Grotesco, and I just loved it.
It has different people relating their woes and ascribing them to the gays. Some examples (my translation):
"My son killed four people with a hunting rifle, but somehow I feel it's the fault of the gays."
"My upbringing has made it impossible for me to be psychologically sound, but my family all agree: it's the fault of the gays!"
"The European Song Contest never seems to end, and it's the fault of the gays!"
Then enter a nun, a Moslem, and an orthodox Jew, all in distinctive garb, and sing about how all fundamentalism and all religious wars actually are the fault of the gays. It is rather hilarious, but unfortunately, of course, this satire is too close to the truth. Not that these things actually are the fault of the gays, I mean, but that this oratory is used far too often. There are preachers, for instance, who warn Sweden of earthquakes, floods and other calamities as divine retribution for a too permissive attitude tiwards homosexuality.
As I said, I loved this song. Except, perhaps, that the tune is so catchy, that it will ring in your head for a very long time...

I bring this up, because this song recently created some controversy. Grotesco performed it in the popular TV show Allsång på Skansen, a sing-along program aired from Skansen in Stockholm. As might have been expected, some people found it objectionable. Especially the satirical portrayal of Moslems, Jews, and Christians has been an irritant. The police are being asked to investigate whether the song contains hate speech.
The song does contain generalisations, to be sure. Not all Moslems, Jews, or Christians behave or talk as those portrayed. But some do, indeed, and it is those that are being satirized. We'll have to see what conclusions the investigation reaches.
I hope, however, that those objecting to the song take a good look in the mirror before taking legal action. The shoe is now on the other foot - are you sure that's not what irritates you? 

Update: Lesbian pastor recieves an apology

In January, I blogged about a pastor in Sweden who was refused a job since she is a lesbian.
Now, the parish has reached an agreement with the pastor in question. She has recieved an apology and a remuneration of 30.000 crowns (3.445€, 4.762 US$ at today's rate). In addition, the parish will educate its staff in questions of discrimination. Presumably, in order to avoid discrimination in future, not to discriminate more effectively.

Betalar diskriminerad präst (Sveriges Radio Örebro 2.3.11)
Diskriminerades för sin läggning - nu ersätts prästen ekonomiskt (Nerikes Allehanda 2.3.11)
Homosexuell präst får ursäkt (Dagen 2.3.11)

Sweden: Lesbian pastor was refused a job

An openly lesbian pastor in the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden heard of a job opening in a parish in central Sweden and contacted the vicar, whom she had met before. He was positive during their telephone conversation, but she later recieved an email saying that the opening wouldn't be filled after all.
When someone from the diocese contacted her about the same job, the pastor wondered about that email. It turned out that the vicar had reported to the Parish Board that the pastor in question was a nice and competent person, but that they couldn't employ "one of those people". It was unthinkable that she and her partner should live in the parsonage and that she should teach confirmation classes.
The pastor was, of course, dismayed by this and in the end reported the parish to the discrimination ombudsman.
The bishop of Strängnäs, Hans-Erik Nordin, won't comment on this specific incident, but says that the Church of Sweden has decided that there is no bar on homosexuals working within the church, even as pastors.
The vicar has since changed jobs and won't comment. The new vicar agrees with the bishop in this.

Some comments on the news sites and on various blogs say things like: "God bless the parish!" and "The vicar is a wise man who wants to follow the Bible." Others say that this shows that the Church of Sweden has double standards, and that religious people in general can't be trusted.
I'm sure the pastor in question will get the job eventually (if she still wants it). But the damage has been done. Specifically, damage to the image of the church as being a loving, generous institution. If, indeed, it has ever had such an image...

Homosexuell präst anmäler pastorat till DO (Kyrkans Tidning 18.1.11)
Homosexuell nekades prästjobb (Svenska Dagbladet 18.1.11) 
DO får anmälan från lesbisk präst (Dagen 18.1.11)
Hos Gud finns ingen synd (Apg 29 18.1.11)
Man vill ju inte anställa "en sån" (Solen i ögonen 18.1.11)
Kyrkan är som kyrkan är (Håll ditt huvud högt 18.1.11)

Finland's first woman bishop consecrated under boycott

The first Finnish woman to become a Lutheran bishop was Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund, who was consecrated Bishop of Härnösand in Sweden in November last year (as I noted at the time).
Now, the first woman has become bishop in the ELCF. Irja Askola has succeeded Eero Huovinen as Bishop of Helsinki, and will be consecrated by our new Archbishop Kari Mäkinen in the Cathedral of Helsinki next Sunday, 12 September. As usual, the Archbishop is assisted by domestic and foreign dignitaries. Representatives from at least Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Namibia, England, and Ireland will be present in different roles.

Not all who are invited will attend, however. The Lutheran churches of Latvia and Ingria (in present-day Russia) have declined, apparently because of Askola's gender. Neither church ordains women; the Ingrians never have and the Latvians have stopped doing so.
Neither church admits to this being the reason, though. In Latvia, preparations for a synod in December apparently demand such an effort that no-one can be sent to Finland for a Sunday in September. That will surely be quite a synod! The Bishop of Ingria simply declined without giving a reason, which naturally is more honest than the Latvians' pretext.

Another ecumenical problem concerns the Church of England. Suffragan Bishop David Hamid, who will represent the CofE in Helsinki, cannot participate in blessing Askola with laying on of hands, since the CofE is still struggling with the decision whether to consecrate female bishops or not. Hamid will have other roles during the service, however.
The CofE will, apparently, not accept pastors ordained by Askola as priests in England, in accordance with the Porvoo Agreement. Lutheran pastors (such as I) that are ordained by male bishops are fully accepted in the Anglican churches of the Porvoo Communion (and vice versa, of course), but women bishops will pose a problem.
Which seems weird to me - but then, I'm not Anglican...

Kaksi kirkkoa ei lähetä edustajaa Askolan vihkimykseen (Kotimaa 3.9.10)
Kotimaa: Osa kutsutuista ei tule naispiispan vihkimykseen (Helsingin Sanomat 3.9.10)
Utländska kyrkor bojkottar biskopsvigning (Hufvudstadsbladet 3.9.10)
Kyrkor bojkottar biskopsvigning (Dagen 3.9.10)

Finland: Gender-neutral marriage law in the making

Sweden and Norway have had gender-neutral marriages laws for some time now, and in June, Iceland joined them. The first to get married under the new law was Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, as I noted last week. We still wait for Denmark.
Now, the debate accelerates even in Finland, that oh, so often shows conservative tendencies. Justice Minister Tuija Brax (Green Party) says she hopes that the law will be a part of the negociations when a new government will be formed after next year's Parliamentary elections and that the law will be in place in 2012. Of the larger parties, only the agrarian Center Party hasn't taken sides yet. Only the conservative Christian Democrats and the populistic True Finns are against, and all other Parliamentary parties would accept a law of this nature - with varying degrees of enthusiasm, of course. These parties are the conservative National Coalition, the Social Democrats, the social liberal Swedish People's Party (that I represent), and the postcommunistic Leftist League; there are eight parties in the Finnish Parliament at the moment.

A gender-neutral marriage law would not change the rights of opposite-sex couples, but same-sex couples would gain the right to e.g. take a common surname and to adopt children from outside their families ("external adoption", as it is called). The present registration of partnerships gives some of the rights that marriage gives, e.g. inheritance, some tax breaks and internal adoption, i.e. the right to adopt the other partner's children.
As to getting married in church ... well, that's some way off in the main churches in Finland. The law in question would not compel the churches to marry same-sex couples. My personal view is, of course, that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, where I serve, should start marrying all couples, but I'm afraid that still is a long way off. The Bishops' Council made a decision earlier this year that allows pastors to pray for same-sex couples, but not call it a blessing. This is, of course, a craven compromise. A comment in English here.

We'll have to wait and see what comes of all this. More disappointments, I fear.

Missionskyrkan has a change of heart

On November 30, I wrote that the

central board [of the Svenska Missionskyrkan ("Swedish Mission Church")] decided 21.11.09 to allow, but not to force, pastors to perform same-sex marriages, starting March 2010, by which time an Order of Service will have been developed.

After taking a lot of flak, the central board rescinds their decision, debates it again in February and takes it to the Church Conference in May 2010. Hopefully, this means that the decision will have a broader base - but it might, of course, also be voted down. We'll have to wait and see.
Dagen reported on this new development 12.12.09.

A new secessionary bishop in Sweden

Arne Olsson, the bishop of the so-called Mission Province whom bishop Walter Obare from Kenya consecrated in 2005, turns 80 in 2010 and steps down from his episcopate. In his place, the ever meddlesome Obare will consecrate Roland Gustafsson, 57, who up till now has worked as a missionary in Kenya, mainly teaching at the seminary of the ELCK.
Gustafsson is not an ordained pastor as yet, so he will be ordained on January 16, 2010, awaiting his consecration on March 20.

God bless him and the Mission Province. It is good that there is an alternative for those conservative members of the CofS and the ELCF that feel as if their space is shrinking.
As well they might feel, since it no longer are the misogynistic and homophobic fundamentalists who call the shots in the large Lutheran churches in Sweden or Finland. I don't bear them ill will. I just don't really want them around.

Gustafsson vald till ny biskop i Missionsprovinsen (Kyrkans Tidning 30.11.09)
Missionsprovinsen fick biskop efter tufft förhör (Dagen 1.12.09)

Another Swedish church introduces same-sex marriages

On October 22, the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden, the country's ex-State Church, decided to start implementing a gender neutral view on marriage as quickly as November 1st. I blogged about it at the time.
Now, one of the largest Free Churches in Sweden, the Svenska Missionskyrkan ("Swedish Mission Church") has taken a similar decision. Their central board decided 21.11.09 to allow, but not to force, pastors to perform same-sex marriages, starting March 2010, by which time an Order of Service will have been developed. The central board was not unanimous; the decision was taken by 11 votes to 5.

The Svenska Missionskyrkan is in the process of uniting with two other Free Churches, the Baptists and the Methodists, in about two years' time. The Baptists, too, are discussing same-sex marriage, and at the moment the trend seems to be that the local congregations will be given the right to do as they please.

Samkönade vigslar möjligt i Missionskyrkan från 1 mars (Sändaren 21.11.09)
Missionskyrkan öppnar för homovigslar (Dagen 21.11.09)
Missionskyrkan avgör samkönat lokalt (Norrländska Socialdemokraten 21.11.09)
Missionsförsamling får avgöra vigselfråga (Sveriges Radio 21.11.09)
Samkönade vigslar lokal fråga (Sveriges Radio 22.11.09)
Gävlepastor tvekar om samkönade äktenskap (Arbetarbladet 22.11.09)

Kenyan Lutheran bishop rebukes Swedish church on lesbian bishop

Nairobi (ENI 16.11.09). The executive committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya has expressed shock, dismay and disappointment at the consecration of the Rev. Eva Brunne, a lesbian who lives with her partner, as a bishop in the Church of Sweden.
"We condemn in the strongest terms possible this unfortunate and anti-scriptural development in a church body that bears the name of the great reformer, Dr Martin Luther," said Archbishop Walter Obare, the leader of the ELCK in a statement on 13 November, after the church's executive committee meeting in Nairobi.

Geneva (ENI 17.11.09). Church of Sweden Archbishop Anders Wejryd triggered outrage from a Lutheran church in Africa when he ordained an openly lesbian woman as bishop of Stockholm on 8 November. The archbishop asserts, however, that neither his church nor his country supports promiscuity, but that Sweden is a "surprisingly moral society". He said the Swedish church encourages faithful and stable relationships between people whatever their sexual orientation may be.

Comment: Bishop Obare is, once again, meddling in the affairs of the Church of Sweden. I wonder who put him up to it this time.
By the way, Wejryd is an Archbishop, but Obare's title is "Presiding Bishop". If you want to be exact. And why wouldn't you?

On a different note, there was another bishop consecrated on the same day (8.11.09) as bishop Brunne of Stockholm. Bishop Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund of Härnösand (northern Sweden) was born in Finland but moved to Sweden in order to be able to be ordained, as the ELCF didn't ordain women at the time. The ELCF still hasn't any female bishops, so bishop Koivunen Bylund is the first Finnish woman to become a bishop. Which is quite as historical as bishop Brunne's being the first lesbian to reach that august position.

The Church of Sweden will perform same-sex weddings

The (Lutheran) Church of Sweden decided yesterday, 22.10.09, to allow same-sex weddings to be performed within the Church, starting as (surprisingly) early as November. The decision does not mean, however, that pastors that are consciencous objectors are forced to perform such weddings against their beliefs.
This decision has, not unexpectedly, kindled much critizism both from within and from without. Catholic and Orthodox groups have expressed their "sadness" in a joint statement, and the (Anglican) Church of England is worried about what this will do to the Porvoo Communion.
They are, of course, entitled to their opinions. This is, however, just that - a difference of opinion. There are many others that have been overcome or are ignored - sacraments, priesthood, apostolic succession, the role of the Bible and of tradition, the institution of the Pope, the roles of the Virgin Mary and the other saints etc. This one - the embracement, acceptance, non-acceptance or damnation of non-heterosexuals - is cumbersome because it is new, nothing more.

I welcome the Swedes' decision!

Ja till samkönade äktenskap (Kyrkpressen 22.10.09)
Svenska kyrkan godkände vigsel för par av samma kön (Kyrklig tidningstjänst 22.10.09)
Samaa sukupuolta olevien parien kirkollinen vihkiminen hyväksyttiin Ruotsissa (Kirkon tiedotuskeskus 22.10.09)
Sweden allows gay couples to marry in church (PinkNews 22.10.09)
Wejryd: Inga präster ska tvingas att viga (Dagen 23.10.09)
Homoäktenskap i Kyrkan #1: Länkar (Antigayretorik 23.10.09)
Homoäktenskap i Kyrkan #2: I väntan på katastrofen (Antigayretorik 23.10.09)
Homoäktenskap i Kyrkan #3: Varför splittring just nu? (Antigayretorik 23.10.09)
Katolsk-ortodox reaktion på svenska kyrkans beslut (Charlotte Therese 23.10.09)

Sweden: Many "No":s to same-sex weddings in church

The Swedish Pentecostal newspaper Dagen ("The Day") has made a survey of what the different religions and denominations will do with same-sex couples coming to them, asking to be married. Not surprisingly, most didn't want to perform such a ceremony. The by far largest denomination in the country, the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden, is, however, positive to this development. And then there is the third group, who haven't made their minds up yet.
The list of the different religious groups can be found here in Swedish, but to mention some:

YES:
The Church of Sweden
The Jews
The Quakers

NO:
The Roman Catholic Church
The different Orthodox churches
The free churches, including e.g. Pentecostals, Seventh-Day Adventist, Methodists, the Salvation Army and some Lutheran organisations
The Moslems
The Mormons
The Jehovah's Witnesses

DUNNO:
Anglicans
Baptists
Baha'i
The Scientology Church
Some Lutheran organisations

There is also the question what to do with consciencious objectors, i.e. pastors who refuse to marry same-sex couples.
In many of the above religious groups, there is an ongoing discussion about the right to perform marriages - should our church retain that right or give it up? Does the right to perform marriages include an obligation for the individual pastor to do so? Should the right to perform marriages no longer be a question for a whole denomination, but rather given individually to those pastors who have no objections to marrying anyone that the state deems worthy? These questions are far from being solved.

Anglicans and GLBT

Last week, two sets of news concerning Anglicans and GLBT hit the world.

The first one dealt with a letter sent by two English bishops, Christopher Hill and John Hind, to the Swedish archbishop, Anders Wejryd. ++Anders had sent a letter informing the Porvoo churches about the Church of Sweden's stance on gay marriage, and the English letter was a response to this.
In effect, the bishops Hill and Hind (oh, so diplomatically!) threatened the Church of Sweden with ecumenical repercussions if the Swedes wouldn't desist accepting gays as Christians and full members of the Body of Christ. This has created quite an uproar in Sweden, where some see it as an interference in internal matters, while others (happily saying "I told you so") predict the downfall of the Church of Sweden and of the Porvoo Communion.
I think the English bishops have every right to communicate with the Swedes and inform them of their thoughts in a matter where the Swedes first took the initiative. The Swedes, however, have an equal right to ignore the English, if they choose to do so. Ecumenism doesn't mean that everyone should do the same thing, but that we all should look to what unites us, rather that to that which divides us.

The other Anglican news was that on 17 July, the Episcopal Church in the USA (ECUSA), which is part of the Anglican Communion, authorized bishops to bless same-sex unions and research an official prayer for the ceremonies. This moved the church closer to accepting gay relationships despite turmoil over the issue in the Anglican family. The Anglican spiritual leader, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, has struggled to keep the communion unified.
Anglican leaders had pressed the ECUSA for a moratorium on electing more gay bishops than Gene Robinson, elected in 2003, and asked the church not to develop an official prayer for same-gender couples. But the measure adopted Friday by the Episcopal General Convention noted the growing number of U.S. states that allow gay marriage, civil unions and domestic partnerships, and gave bishops in those regions discretion to provide a “generous pastoral response” to couples in local parishes.
The 2 million-member Episcopal Church earlier in the week approved a resolution opening the doors to ordain gay men and women as clergy. These and related issues have already prompted some congregations to leave the Episcopal fold and form the rival Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) that claims 100,000 believers. Anglican churches in regions like Africa have broken ties with their more liberal U.S. brethren.
Here, too, the split is unfortunate, but the Episcopalians must do what they think is right. As must their opponents, of course.

The Bishops' letter, dated 26th June 2009
Engelsk oro över svensk äktenskapssyn (Kyrkans Tidning 15.7.09)
USA-kyrka bryter anglikanskt löfte (Kyrkans Tidning 15.7.09)
Gay clergy eligible for all Episcopal ministry (365 Gay 15.7.09)
Episcopal Church USA to ordain homosexual bishops (Spero News 16.7.09)
"Vi kan vara på väg att bli isolerade" (Kyrkans Tidning 16.7.09)
Anglo-Swedish rift over church gay marriage (The Local 16.7.09)
”Klipp banden med England” (Svenska Dagbladet 16.7.09)
Chans till besinning (Dagen 16.7.09)
Könsneutralt äktenskap (Från prästgårdsfönstret 16.7.09)
Engelska kyrkan i genuspanik mot Sverige (Trollhare 16.7.09)
Gay bishops more likely after US passes ‘nuanced’ motion (Church Times 17.7.09)
English bishops say Swedish proposal redefines marriage (Church Times 17.7.09)
Koskinen svarar på "anglikanattacken" (Kyrkans Tidning 17.7.09)
”Vi viker oss inte men bör ändå be Engelska kyrkan om ursäkt” (Dagen 17.7.09)
Episcopal Church moves toward blessing gay unions (Reuters 17.7.09)
Vad är viktigast? (Karin Långström Vinges blogg 17.7.09)
The Church of England Condemns the Church of Sweden (Aqurette 17.7.09)
Auf Wiedersehen! (Dagblogg 17.7.09)
Brevdebatt förvånar anglikansk biskop (Kyrkans Tidning 18.7.09)
Episcopalians: Bishops can bless same-sex unions (AP through 365 Gay 18.7.09)
Den västerländska kyrkan splittras (Dagen 21.7.09)

LGBT bishops - ecumenical problems or possibilities?

Now, there are two of them.
In 2003, Gene Robinson was elected Bishop of New Hampshire within the Episcopal Church in the USA (TEC), and a couple of weeks ago, Eva Brunne was elected Bishop of Stockholm within the Church of Sweden. Both +Gene and +Eva are homosexuals.
This has created quite an uproar in some circles, and many arguments have been used in attempts to show how wrong this is. I won't bore you with them all; my readers are surely well aware of them.
One argument does have some merit to it, namely the argument that this will impede ecumenical relations between churches, especially between Protestant and Orthodox churches, but also between Western and Third World Protestant churches. The Danish Christian newspaper Kristeligt Dagblad published an article about the issue on June 6, and the Swedish blogger Per Westberg commented on the article the same day.

There is, admittedly, a rift between the Orthodox and many Protestant churches. This rift has, however, officially been in existance since 1054, even before any Protestant churches existed, and unofficially several centuries longer. This is, of course, a shame. During the ecumenical processes of the last half-century or so, attempts have been made to bridge the gap, but success has only been minor and has concerned details. The main achievement of the ecumenical discussions have been the discussions themselves. And I'm not running them down; being able to sit at the same table and discuss issues calmly is a very good thing in itself.
But when Conservatives on either side accuse proponents of female clergy or homosexual rights of sabotaging the ecumenical relations, they are, surely, exaggerating. Far greater questions lie on the table - the Eucharist (or Communion, if you prefer), the Filioque dispute, the status of the Saints etc. Since we haven't been able to solve these - or even make a dent - why protest so vocally over the minor questions that have been raised now?
I doubt that the real issue at hand is Ecumenism; Ecumenism is apparently only being used as yet another argument in the attempt to bury the questions of women's and LGBT rights.

The relations between Protestant churches can also be affected. This is already the case within the Anglican community, where several African church leaders, notably the Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola, are actively working against TEC and +Gene. ++Peter is even leading a secessionary movement, taking seceding American parishes and dioceses under his wing, in open defiance of Anglican structure and tradition.
African Lutherans are probably in the same mind frame. This was seen in 2005, when bishop Walter Obare of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenya ordained a Swede, Arne Olsson, as bishop of the splinter movement Missionsprovinsen (the Missionary Province), which had come into being as a reaction to the alleged liberalism of the Church of Sweden. No big reactions on the election of +Eva have yet been heard, but it's probably just a matter of time.
The problems have been there all along, but the development during the last decades have been detrimental, I must admit.

What is, however, the core issue here? Can ecumenical relations exist, if they mean that one of the churches involved has to pretend to be something it isn't? Shouldn't we rejoice in that which is common to us all, and agree to disagree about that which is not? Shouldn't the love of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus be enough as common ground for us to stand on?
Why should the relatively minor questions about human sexuality be elevated to such heights, and be allowed to carry the blame for wrecking the relationships between Christians? That is absurd. At the bottom of it all lies different attitudes toward those who are different, different attitudes with mainly cultural, not religious, background. If these questions are raised now, instead of being swept under the rug as before, is it the question raiser or the rug sweeper that should be blamed for the increased tension?
Neither, I hope - since they both should sit at the table addressing these issues, too...

Lesbian bishop-elect in Stockholm

The Diocese of Stockholm in the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden has elected a new bishop after Caroline Krook, who is retiring. The new bishop-elect is Eva Brunne (55), who recieved 413 votes against 365 for Hans Ulfvebrand, her opponent in the final second round of the election on May 26.

Bishop-elect Brunne has extensive experience as vicar in the parishes of Flemingsberg and Sundbyberg.
Especially Flemingsberg has given her insights into the present religious situation in urban Sweden, where the Church of Sweden is incresingly becoming a minority church, in parallel with Catholic and Orthodox churches of different hue, as well as Muslim and non-religious people. In Flemingsberg, she habitually introduced herself as "the Evangelical Lutheran pastor", just to make sure.

Eva Brunne lives in a registered partnership with another woman, and has a three-year-old son.

Media:
Eva Brunne vann biskopsvalet i Stockholms stift (Press release from the Diocese of Stockholm 26.5.09)
Eva Brunne vann biskopsval i Stockholm (Kyrkans Tidning 26.5.09)
Eva Brunne blir ny biskop i Stockholm stift (Dagen 26.5.09)
Eva Brunne vann biskopsvalet i Stockholms stift (Dagens Nyheter 26.5.09)
Sverige fick homosexuell biskop (Hufvudstadsbladet 26.5.09)
Habemus mamam! (Karin Långström Vinges blogg 26.5.09)
Go Eva, Go Eva! (Carl Martin Hægermark 26.5.09)
Sverige fick homosexuell biskop (Kyrkpressen 27.5.09)
Eva Brunne ny stockholmsbiskop (Antigayretorik 27.5.09)
Världens första lesbiska biskop? (Senapsfrön och fikonspråk 27.7.09)
(No caption) (Stone of Witness 1.6.09)

Finnish woman bishop - in Sweden

At last, a Finnish woman has been elected bishop! Sadly, this took place in Sweden...

Last week, Dean Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund (see photo) was elected Bishop in Härnösand.
She was born in 1947 in Turku, Finland, but was ordained in Lund, Sweden, in 1971 (women couldn't become pastors in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland until 1986). A Doctor of Theology, Koivunen Bylund has been Dean of Uppsala since 1995. She has two children and one grandchild.

Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund will be consecrated in November in the Cathedral of Uppsala, together with the new Bishop of Stockholm, who is yet to be elected.

See the news in Swedish and in Finnish, and her biography on my blog (in Swedish).

Gender neutral marriage in Sweden and in Finland

Earlier this week - on April Fool's Day, as it happens - the Swedish Parliament passed a law making marriage gender neutral. This means, that Swedish couples can get married regardless of whether they are two women, two men or one of each. I'm all for it, but I won't go into detail at the moment. Read the media (e.g. 365gay, PinkNews), will you!
Since the churches in Sweden have the right to marry people, a debate has sprung up regarding whether this right gives leeway to individual churches and pastors to refuse to marry same-sex couples. The (Lutheran) Church of Sweden, for instance, will come to a decision on the issue when its Synod meets in October.

Here in Finland, the society is traditionally far more conservative than in neighbouring Sweden. We have had registration of civil partnerships for some time now, but the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland (not to mention all the other churches) is still struggling with the consequences of this fact. And same-sex marriage isn't even an issue!

Marriages in the new year

People choose their wedding dates for varying reasons. My paternal grandparents were married in December 1931, and the next year they were blessed with a daughter. If you look at the months, rather than the years, you'll notice that it was a very short pregnancy - my aunt was born in May, 1932 - but noticing that is, of course, bad manners, so we'll let it lie.
But there are two couples that have chosen to get married now in the beginning of January, 2009, that might be worth mentioning.

On Saturday, January 3, in a church in the south-western town of Pori, the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, Sauli Niinistö (60), was married to Jenni Haukio (31), who works for the Conservative Party; Niinistö is also a Conservative. Widowed in 1995, he was a few years ago involved with a cabinet minister from the Centre Party, Tanja Karpela (now Saarela), and has now been together with his new wife for two years, which, apparently, neither the press nor the couple's next of kin had any inkling of.
Niinistö was runner-up in the 2006 presidential elections, with 48,2% of the votes in the secont round. Since President Tarja Halonen will have completed her constitutional two terms in 2012 and can't run for a third, Niinistö is a strong candidate to become the next President of the Republic. But there must surely be others; the elections are still a few years off.
As was to be expected, the evening paper Iltalehti made a lot of fuss about Niinistö's wedding.

The following day, the blogger Tor Billgren (blogging on Antigayretorik) married his partner of eight years, Erik, in their home town of Malmö in southern Sweden. Among the congratulatory comments on the blog, there were a few condemning their love for each other in God's name. Very sad. Very predictable. God must be happy for Erik and Tor - and weeping because of the idi... I mean, people speaking in his name.
The civil wedding was performed by a member of parliament, Olof Lavesson, who is also from Malmö.

May God bless both couples with much love and a long life together!

Update: Arnell & Gårdfeldt

Two pastors named Lars (Arnell and Gårdfeldt), both working for the (Lutheran) Church of Sweden, were married in Canada in 2006. After returning home, they tried unsuccessfully to have their marriage recognized by the Swedish authorities; the ruling was that this was not a marriage but a civil partnership. I blogged about this at the time.
The couple argued that since their marriage was legal in Canada, it should be recognized in Sweden. Their lawsuit said that "tax authorities can make an exception for a marriage where one party is underage but not for homosexuals."
They took their case to the highest court in Sweden, which now has upheld the ruling of lower courts. In its ruling, the court said that Swedish law permits the tax department to make exceptions for people who are underage but legally married, but there currently is no law in Sweden allowing for the recognition of same-sex marriage.
The two Larses said they were disappointed in the ruling but hoped the government would soon amend the law. They will also bring the case before European Human Rights Court.

Kristen tro och homosexuell samlevnad, Visst går det att förena! (Lars Arnell's home page, in Swedish)
Uutinen: Ruotsalaiset homopapit naimisiin Kanadassa (Kalles kyrkliga kommentarer 23.5.06)
Nyhet: Utländskt homoäktenskap registreras inte i Sverige (Kalles kyrkliga kommentarer 28.9.06)
Präst gift i Kanada, inte gift i Sverige (Kyrkans Tidning 16.12.08)
Swedish court: Canadian gay marriage not legal (365gay 16.12.08)
Gårdfelt (sic!) förlorade äktenskapsmål (Dagen 16.12.08)
Rörd och imponerad av Gårdfeldts styrka (Antigayretorik 17.12.08)