Church in Espoo, Church in Helsinki and Church in Vantaa are participating in Helsinki Pride together. Evangelical Lutheran parishes will join the Helsinki Pride parade and park celebration on Saturday June 28th, and will also organise several Pride events throughout the Helsinki metropolitan area during Pride Month.

This year's theme for Helsinki Pride is Pride without Borders.

– Jesus saw and met people beyond the boundaries that his contemporaries had built between them. The example of Jesus encourages us, the parishes of the Capital Region, to participate and make our own contribution to Pride. We are breaking down the barriers that still separate and divide people here and elsewhere, says Matti Peiponen, an expert in international and multicultural work in the Espoo parishes.

– God has created each of us to be as we are. Because He makes no mistakes, there is nothing to be ashamed of in anyone's gender or sexual orientation. There is nothing wrong with who you love, on the contrary, it is something to be proud of, says Antti Kotinurmi, a youth worker at Vantaankoski parish.

Pride is ever more important

‍It is becoming more and more important for the Church to participate in Pride, because we keep hearing how human rights are taking steps backwards around the world.

– In many places, trans people's rights are being rolled back, and values that separate and divide people are rearing their heads. That is why we need Pride that promotes equality and justice. If these are not at the heart of Christianity, then what is, Kotinurmi asks and continues:

– The message of the Bible to every Christian is clear: we must love our neighbour. A new command I give you: Love one another. John 13:34.

Kotinurmi says that the world won’t change unless we change it ourselves.

– We humans are the hands and feet of Christ here on earth. We must act according to our values and promote human rights and love. Young people in particular need to know that they are accepted unconditionally.

Events around the capital region

A discussion titled Pyhää vai politiikkaa? (Sacred or political?) will be held on June 26th at 6pm at the Temppeliaukio Church. The topic of the discussion is gender diversity and how it is being considered in the Church.

– In recent years, the anti-gender movement, which seeks to instil fear and restrict the human rights of women and gender and sexual minorities, has been gaining momentum. It has also influenced church discourse. The discussion will begin with an introduction to the phenomenon by docent Julian Honkasalo, shares one of the organisers of the panel discussion, university chaplain Marjut Mulari from Helsinki.

– The life of every human being is sacred, not a tool for political games. There must be room for everyone to be their true selves in the Church as well.

In Helsinki, Pride masses will be held, for example, in St. Michael’s Church on June 22nd and in Kallio Church on June 27th. In addition, St. Matthew’s Church, for example, will hold a rainbow café and mass on June 25th for young people. St Thomas' Mass will be celebrated at the end of the week on June 29th in the Mikael Agricola Church.
All Pride events in Helsinki parishes (in Finnish or Finnish-Swedish)

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