Mirroring the Majority? The Legal Understanding of Finnish Orthodoxy and the 1923 Tomos in terms of the 1925 Government Decree

This article places particular emphasis on examining the legislative repercussions and interpretations of the 1923 Patriarchal Tomos, a document that played a crucial role in facilitating this transitional period. The first instance of the 1925 government decree marked the beginning of a series of decrees aimed at comprehensively addressing the new circumstances. These included the recognition of the authority of an independent republic, the modification of the Patriarchate, and the provisions outlined in the Tomos. In the context of this article, my research objective is to examine how the process of transforming the Archdiocese into a national minority state church unfolded, particularly in relation to the 1925 Decree and, more specifically, concerning the 1923 Tomos.Throughout these legislative shifts, distinctive Orthodox features were not only preserved but also, to some extent, protected and accentuated. This was evident not only in the legal frameworks but also in the interpretations endorsed by the Orthodox community. In these complex processes, the boundaries between the realms became intertwined: the Orthodox entity underwent a process of nationalization, while at the same time the State of Finland became intertwined with the principles and organizational framework of Orthodox canon law. These developments underline the need for continued research endeavors in this area.