Latvia: Churches defend "traditional family values"

Leaders of the Lutheran, Catholic, Baptist and Adventist churches in Latvia have criticized a new social science school textbook that describes gay and lesbian life as a ”normal aspect of sexuality.” The Latvian Ministry of Education is giving in to the Churches’ demands, and that, in turn, is criticized by local representatives of sexual minorities.
The Churches promise to continue to defend ”traditional family values”. ”The church isn't alone in its traditional view of the family in Latvia,” said Ivars Kubcis, spokesman for the country's Evangelical Lutheran church (ELCL).

About a quarter of the Latvians are Lutherans and Catholics, respectively, while some six per cent are Orthodox.
Latvia decriminalized homosexuality as late as 1993, and was the last EU member to forbid discrimination of homosexuals in 2006.

Latvian churches reiterate condemnation of homosexuality (ENInews 17.6.11)
Latvian kirkot paheksuvat oppikirjaa (Kotimaa24 23.6.11)



New member and observers in the Porvoo Communion

The Church of Denmark has ended years of separation from Anglican Churches in northern Europe by signing the Porvoo Agreement. The Agreement underscores the Porvoo Communion of Evangelical-Lutheran Churches in northern Europe and Anglican Churches in Britain and Ireland.
Although the Church of Denmark participated in the discussions that in 1996 led up to the Porvoo Agreement, it never signed the document because of differences over the status of women. With women now being accepted into the priesthood by the Anglican Churches in the Porvoo Communion, the Church of Denmark announced in 2009 that there was no longer any barrier to becoming a full member.
The Agreement was signed on 3 October 2010 at a service in Copenhagen Cathedral by Hanna Broadbridge, chairman of the Council of International Relations of the Danish Church, and Bishop of Viborg, Karsten Nissen.

The Church of Denmark has thus far had observer status within the Communion, together with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. In 2010, the Communion received two new observers: the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad (LELCA) and the Lutheran Church in Great Britain (LCiGB; not to be confused with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of England, ELCE, that I've had occasion to comment on earlier, and which decidedly is not a Porvoo church).

Since I myself serve and live in the city (Porvoo in Finnish, Borgå in Swedish) that has given the Porvoo Agreement and the Porvoo Communion their names, they are, of course, of special interest to me. I cordially welcome the new member and the new observers!

The Church of Denmark signs Porvoo (The Porvoo Communion 3.10.10)
Danmark med i Borgågemenskapen (Kyrkpressen 5.10.10)
Church of Denmark signs Porvoo Agreement (Christian Today 5.10.10)
The LELCA a new observer in Porvoo (The Porvoo Communion 6.10.10)
New observer in the Porvoo Communion (The Porvoo Communion 6.10.10)
Porvoon kirkkoyhteisö sai kaksi uutta tarkkailijakirkkoa (Kirkon tiedotuskeskus 13.10.10)
The Scottish Episcopal Church in full communion with the Church of Denmark (The Scottish Episcopal Church 20.10.10)

Finland's first woman bishop consecrated under boycott

The first Finnish woman to become a Lutheran bishop was Tuulikki Koivunen Bylund, who was consecrated Bishop of Härnösand in Sweden in November last year (as I noted at the time).
Now, the first woman has become bishop in the ELCF. Irja Askola has succeeded Eero Huovinen as Bishop of Helsinki, and was consecrated by our new Archbishop Kari Mäkinen in the Cathedral of Helsinki on Sunday, 12 September. As usual, the Archbishop was assisted by domestic and foreign dignitaries. Representatives from at least Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Namibia, England, and Ireland were present in different roles.

Not all who are invited attended, however. The Lutheran churches of Latvia and Ingria (in present-day Russia) declined, apparently because of Askola's gender. Neither church ordains women; the Ingrians never have and the Latvians have stopped doing so.
Neither church admits to this being the reason, though. In Latvia, preparations for a synod in December apparently demanded such an effort that no-one could be sent to Finland for a Sunday in September. That will surely be quite a synod! The Bishop of Ingria simply declined without giving a reason, which naturally is more honest than the Latvians' pretext.

Another ecumenical problem concerns the Church of England. Suffragan Bishop David Hamid, who represented the CofE in Helsinki, could not participate in blessing Askola with laying on of hands, since the CofE is still struggling with the decision whether to consecrate female bishops or not. Hamid had other roles during the service, however.
The CofE will, apparently, not accept pastors ordained by Askola as priests in England, in accordance with the Porvoo Agreement. Lutheran pastors (such as I) that are ordained by male bishops are fully accepted in the Anglican churches of the Porvoo Communion (and vice versa, of course), but women bishops will pose a problem.
Which seems weird to me - but then, I'm not Anglican...

Kaksi kirkkoa ei lähetä edustajaa Askolan vihkimykseen (Kotimaa 3.9.10)
Kotimaa: Osa kutsutuista ei tule naispiispan vihkimykseen (Helsingin Sanomat 3.9.10)
Utländska kyrkor bojkottar biskopsvigning (Hufvudstadsbladet 3.9.10)
Kyrkor bojkottar biskopsvigning (Dagen 3.9.10)

Previously published on Karl's comments.
Slightly edited.