Pöyhtäri Vesa

In other countries or cities, it might not seem newsworthy but a controversial Oulu priest’s refusal to say mass alongside a female colleague made the headlines this week. Kaleva photographers even went to mass to report on the local religious storm.

Rev’d Vesa Pöyhtäri, a member of a breakaway group from the Lestadian movement, was pencilled in by his boss to say mass alongside a female priest in the Oulu congregation of Karjasilta. As was expected, the prominent Christian Democrat election candidate did not turn up. Instead, Rev’d Dr. Satu Saarinen was assisted by her boss, the Kirkkoherra (head priest) Rev’d Juhani Lavanko. Satu Saarinen published a doctoral thesis some years ago arguing that female priests had been routinely mistreated in Oulu by the former bishop.

Mr. Lavanko has previously formally complained to the new bishop, who is in favour of women priests, about Mr Pöyhtäri’s refusal to work with women.    

Sunday’s mass was the result of change in the Lutheran Church of Finland which means that those male priests who oppose the ordination of women are no longer allowed to refuse to work with them. Also, their bosses are under no obligation to arrange work shifts so that they can avoid working with women.

According to the church warden who was present, about fifty people attended the mass. This was about twenty fewer than on a normal Sunday implying that a minority had stayed away to express their support for Mr. Pöyhtäri.

Mr. Pöyhtäri has argued publicly that the Bible makes it clear that women should not be priests. His stance has the support of many Lestadians, a significant minority in Oulu who are generally perceived to reject, amongst other things, television, pop music, contraception and makeup. He also has the support of some members of SLEY (the Evangelical Society), another conservative movement within the Finnish Lutheran Church.

However, various Oulu parishioners have long expressed astonishment at the refusal of certain priests to work with women colleagues and some have even stopped paying their church membership tax over the issue.

Until 2000, the Bishop of Oulu was a conservative who refused to ordain women. In that year, he retired to be replaced by Dr. Samuel Salmi who takes a far more liberal position. There are no longer any bishops opposed to female ordination and women compose an increasing minority amongst Finnish priests. However, in Oulu their numbers are way below the national average.

There is ongoing national debate on the issue of women priests in the Lutheran Church and the refusal of some to work with them. Unlike in many countries, almost all Finns are members of this one church. Also, the majority of Finns are confirmed members of the Lutheran Church. ‘Confirmation Camp,’ at the age of about fifteen, has become a popular national traditional and Finns need to be confirmed to have a church wedding.          

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