FINLAND – On March 26, the Supreme Court of Finland narrowly convicted Bishop Juhana Pohjola and Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen of hate speech in a 3-2 decision. The two are now considering an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.
“This court decision is a defeat not only for us and those who adhere to traditional Christian teaching, but also for those who think differently, because the issue of freedom of speech and religion is common to all,” said Bishop Pohjola. “We continue to teach that every person is equal in the image of God but that, in light of the revelation of the Bible, practicing homosexuality as a way of life deviates from God’s order of creation. This teaching of the Bible must be allowed to be taught publicly in Finland without fear.”
“My conscience is pure, and I will continue to teach the Christian faith publicly,” Bishop Pohjola continued, “both regarding the grace of God in Christ Jesus as well as what constitutes sin and deviation from God’s good plan for humanity, including in matters of sexuality.”
The decision is the latest twist in Finland’s infamous “Bible Trial,” which has seen Dr. Räsänen (Finland’s former Minister of the Interior) and Bishop Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland (ELMDF) endure almost seven years of investigation and prosecution for their articulation of historic Christian teaching on human sexuality. Two previous courts—the Helsinki District Court in 2022 and the Helsinki Court of Appeal in 2023—unanimously acquitted the pair on all charges.
Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola were charged with hate speech in 2021 over the publication of a 2004 booklet which presents a historic Christian understanding of human sexuality. Dr. Räsänen was charged as author of the work and Bishop Pohjola as publisher. The booklet, which was published long before the legalization of same-sex marriage in Finland, was one entry in a series of booklets published on various theological topics that were later published online. In its majority decision, the Supreme Court ruled that some statements in the booklet were insulting to homosexual people and that continuing to keep the publication online was therefore illegal.
By contrast, the dissenting judges said—accepting the court rapporteur’s report—that a restriction on freedom of speech and religion was not justified in this case, and that the charges against Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola should be dismissed.
In addition to ruling on the booklet, the Supreme Court unanimously acquitted Dr. Räsänen on a separate charge related to a 2019 tweet which included a picture of a Bible verse. Prosecutors had not appealed a third charge about comments made during a 2019 radio program, accepting Dr. Räsänen’s 2023 acquittal at the Helsinki Court of Appeals on that charge.
“While I am happy that the Court unanimously confirmed my acquittal regarding the Bible-tweet, I am deeply concerned that it has nonetheless found me guilty in relation to the church booklet I authored twenty years ago,” Dr. Räsänen said. “This outcome sends a troubling and contradictory message about the state of fundamental freedoms in Finland. On the one hand, the Court has affirmed that expressing one’s beliefs—even on matters that may be considered controversial—is not a crime…. The final acquittal on this charge is a key victory in protecting free speech. On the other hand, by convicting me for expressing beliefs in a different context, the Court has drawn an unclear and, I believe, dangerous line.”
The Supreme Court has fined Dr. Räsänen €1,800 and Bishop Pohjola €1,100. The Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland’s corporate agency has also been fined €5,000. The Court has further ordered the defendants to remove from online the text in the booklet that it ruled was offensive.
“I am called, and it is my duty, to teach biblical faith on the created order of male and female, on the Christian understanding of marriage, and on the purpose and use of human sexuality,” Bishop Pohjola reflected following the judgment. “My basic rights of freedom of religion as a Lutheran bishop to teach biblical faith according to the confession of our church and my conscience have now been deeply violated. It is not a matter of the sum of euros of the fine but of principle and basic rights.”
“This has a severe outcome not only for me personally, but for my church and for all others who share the same convictions,” he continued. “The ELMDF is a minority Lutheran church body. As its bishop, I am now labeled a criminal, and by extension our entire church is portrayed as promoting illegal activity. I pay the sentence with euros; others pay with fear. This verdict has a chilling effect on society.”
The prosecution of Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen has drawn widespread international criticism over the weakening of freedom of religion and freedom of speech in Finland. “We are shocked by the decision of the Supreme Court of Finland to convict Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen for their articulation of historic Christian teaching,” said Rev. Dr. Detlev Schulz, General Secretary of the International Lutheran Council (ILC). “We consider this ruling unjust and an infringement on the defendants’ fundamental freedoms.”
“May Christ be with Bishop Pohjola and Dr. Räsänen with His comfort in the midst of today’s disappointment,” Dr. Schulz continued, “and may He strengthen all Christians to stand firm in Christ and in His Word.”
The International Lutheran Council has repeatedly expressed its support for Dr. Räsänen and Bishop Pohjola as the legal process has unfolded. The heads of Lutheran church bodies around the world recently reasserted that support during the ILC’s 2025 World Conference in the Philippines, during which time members reelected Bishop Pohjola to a second three-year term as Chairman of the International Lutheran Council.
The International Lutheran Council is a global association of confessional Lutheran church bodies dedicated to the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, grounded in the authority of Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.
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