Liturgical life of the Finnish Orthodox Church in the time of archbishop Pavel (Olmari)
Abstract
The period of 1961‒1987 was a prominent epoch for the Orthodox Church in Finland, during which major changes in its internal life took place. Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland Pavel (Olmari) played a decisive role in these processes. He proclaimed a course towards creating a national church and adapting traditions of the ancient church to present-day conditions, as well as towards ideological rethinking of the period when Finland was part of the Russian Empire. This led to considerable changes in liturgical life, as the so-called Euacharistic revival took place, the role of laymen in liturgy increased, new liturgical orders were introduced. Alongside establishing active contacts with local Orthodox churches and heterodox denominations, Archbishop Pavel made use of their positive experience of liturgical traditions and adapted them to conditions of the Orthodox Church in Finland. Having been tonsured in Valaam Monastery, he was well familiar with features of liturgy of the Russian Orthodox Church; since the 1960s, he introduced certain moments from liturgical life of Greeklanguage Orthodox churches, which included abolition of obligatory confession before Communion; Liturgy of Saint James; changes in liturgical vestments and in everyday clerical apparel. Archbishop Pavel was himself engaged in hymnography and in making scores for church songs and translating service rites from Greek. The fruits of his liturgical alterations still make up one of the features of the Orthodox Church in Finland.
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