Paavo Kontkanen and his Role in Normalization of Relations Between the Russian and Finnish Orthodox Churches

Abstract

The interrelations of the Russian and Finnish Orthodox Churches in the XXth century are dramatic and poorly studied by Russian historians. In this article, based on materials from the State Archives of the Russian Federation and church history papers, translated from Finnish, an attempt was made to study the role of Dr. Paavo Kontkanen, an active member of the Finnish Archdiocese, in relations between these two Churches. This person is a clear example of a change in the attitude of the National Orthodox Church of Finland towards the historically ciriarchal Russian Church in the second half of the previous century. Being for a long time a member of the collegiate administrative body of the Finnish Archdiocese, the Church Administrative Council, with permission from Archbishop Herman (Aav) he started negotiations with the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church on a private level. Having reached understanding with the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations, Metropolitan Nicholas (Yarushevich), Kontkanen considered the reunification of the Finnish Church and the Russian Church to be possible only for a short period, before receiving the status of Autocephalous Local Church from Moscow. Kontkanen’s actions allow seeing him as a conductor of Finland’s ecclesiastical interests, aimed at the alignment with the Soviet Union. It can be proved by Kontkanen’s close contacts with the President of Finland, Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, and his ability to defend interests of the “pro-Russian” part of the clergy and the Finnish Orthodox Church in the face of the state and the Church Council.

Keywords:

Alexander (Karpin), Herman (Aav), Nicholas (Yarushevich), Pavel (Olmari), Paavo Kontkanen, Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, Finnish Orthodox Church, autocephaly, interchurch relations, jurisdictional status