Dublin and Cork links with consecration in Finland

The Archbishop of Dublin, Most Rev Dr Michael Jackson was present yesterday at the consecration of the Right Reverend Bo-Göran Åstrand as Bishop of Borgå (Porvoo), in the Church of Finland.

Photo above – Photographed following his consecration as bishop on the left is Bishop Bo-Göran Åstrand, Bishop of Borgå/Porvoo.

The Bishop of Cork, the Right Reverend Dr Paul Colton, sent warm greetings on behalf of himself and everyone in Cork, Cloyne and Ross to the new Bishop.

Bishop Colton was to have travelled to the Service of Consecration in Porvoo Cathedral in Finland today as a personal guest of the Diocese of Borgå and its new bishop but, due to ill-health, was unable to do so.

Bishop Colton said, “I first visited Porvoo and worshipped in the Cathedral there in 1992 when I was the Church of Ireland representative on the Porvoo Conversations to celebrate the agreement we had reached. It has been wonderful to nurture the friendships and links created in the years since. In 2002, I had the honour of preaching in the Cathedral to mark the tenth anniversary of the Porvoo Agreement. In 1999 the then Bishop of that Diocese, the Right Reverend Erik Vikström, took part in my own consecration as Bishop.

“In recent years, Cork, Cloyne and Ross, at the invitation of Bishop Åstrand’s predecessor, Bishop Björn Vikstrom, has been nurturing the relationships between our two parts of the worldwide Church, and of the Porvoo Communion of Churches in particular. A representative group of clergy and lay people, led by their Bishop, visited Cork, Cloyne and Ross in 2016 and the following year it was a joy to lead a similar group from this Diocese to Finland. Since then we have been looking at a number of options to broaden the link, including among the young people of the dioceses, and church musicians.

“I am sorry not to be able to be present in Porvoo today in person, but have been praying at home for the Diocese and its new Bishop, and I send my prayerful good wishes and warmest greetings.”

The Diocese of Borgå (Porvoo in Finnish) is a Diocese, not formed on a geographical basis in Finland, of the Swedish speaking minority in that country. It is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.