Bishop Teemu Laajasalo’s opening speech at the “Resisting Empire, Promoting Peace: Church’s Confront the ‘Russian world’ ideology” ecumenical conference at Helsinki Cathedral, 2 December 2025, 11.30.
Your Graces and Excellencies, respected ecumenical guests, dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
I wish you a warm welcome to the Diocese of Helsinki and its cathedral. This is the church that is the most familiar image of Helsinki for Finns and of Finland for foreigners. Many airlines display it as their destination image for Helsinki on computer screens and airport monitors. I’ve often checked that the cross on the dome is clearly visible in the picture and hasn’t been erased – I’m glad to report that it’s always there.
This church was originally consecrated in 1852 as the Nicholas Church for Nicholas I, the Russian tsar. It later became the cathedral of our diocese after Finland gained her independence and the Diocese of Helsinki was created. Our diocese is growing. We have about half a million parishioners and about nine hundred priests – we have both small and large parishes and a wide variety of spiritual backgrounds.
Respected participants, dear friends,
I’m delighted that amidst the world’s many difficulties and sorrows, Christians are pausing together to reflect on the theology of peace, mutual fellowship, and how churches should act under political, military and moral pressure. Thank you for your work and for your time.
Today, the second of December, is the Finnish name day for Unelma. Unelma is a Finnish woman’s name. It can be translated as “dream”, “vision” or “hope”. I think organising an ecumenical peace conference on Unelma’s Day is an excellent choice. I can’t believe it’s a coincidence – it’s got to be either the cleverness of the organisers or the guidance of God!
Dear friends,
Today, Unelma’s Day dawns with hope for us Christians. Hope means a gift and mission for Christians. A gift. And a mission.
The concept of hope as God’s gift is related to the idea that even if no human hope is visible or felt, we are allowed to hope because Christ himself is hope. When we rely on him, we can receive hope as a loan from heaven.
This gift of hope means human beings have the miraculous ability to see hope even when there is none. Even if at a cognitive level the situation seems hopeless, and no hope is left at the emotional level, we have the ability to wonder whether things can ever be better. Hope allows us to think that all shall be well.
The hope Christ gives is something the world can never give. But it’s also the kind of hope that this world can never expunge. Hope lives even amidst hopelessness, even when we cannot properly sense it.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
As a mission, hope means we must try in spite of everything to maintain an atmosphere of hope and bring help, comfort and new opportunities to our neighbours amidst their hopelessness. We must support those who falter, raise up those who fall and show mercy to those in distress.
Hope is a mission that is given to us. Martin Luther summarises this at the beginning of his Table Talk: “Everything that is done in the world is done by hope.” (“Alles, was in der Welt erreicht wurde, wurde aus Hoffnung getan.”) It is our mission to resist gloom and hopelessness, to encourage our neighbours and assure them that all shall be well again.
Amidst war, unrest and distressing news Finland has also awakened to a new reality. Children are anxious and depressed, despite the fact that by many measures their life opportunities should be much better than those of previous generations.
The experts are seeking explanations. One explanation, of course, is a lack of hope. Children and young people hear news about climate concerns, the pandemic, unending wars and the threat of a world war. At the same time it seems demands to take responsibility are growing all the time – and increasingly for younger people.
Dear friends,
Christians, and especially those of us who are adults whose perspective on life is longer than that of children and young people, must focus on maintaining hope.
It is our mission to proclaim: our present struggles are not permanent. Just as previous generations have overcome their own crises, we will overcome these difficulties. Joy and light await us in the future. We must always proclaim the gospel more than law. We must proclaim grace more than commandments. We must proclaim life more than death.
The Church of Christ builds hope. It doesn’t just talk about it. Despite all the challenges, the church creates new beginnings and horizons for people. At the same time it is foundational for the church that hope is never ours alone. Hope is Christ himself.
We who are priests and bishops in this imperfect world can trust in this, grateful when we are successful, comforted when we fail.
May God bless you all. May God bless you on this Unelma’s Day. May God bless all the days that lie ahead of you in Helsinki!