In Clear Finnish
The "Aamun Koitto" Magazine as an Agent of National Language Policy
Keywords:
nationality, language, Orthodox Church of Finland, language policy, Aamun KoittoAbstract
By any measure the history of Finnish as a liturgical language is brief. As a part of the Russian Orthodox Church, Finnish dioceses continued the tradition of using Slavonic for liturgical purposes. The question of local needs arose in the middle of the 19th century. By the end of the century, most of the liturgical texts had been translated intoFinnish. One of the key figures in this process was Dean Sergei Okulov – known also as the Grand Old Man of the Finnish Orthodox Church.
A lack of texts translated in Finnish was only part of the problem. It has been stated that the use of Finnish for liturgical purposes was opposed by the Russians. By the 1920’s, the question of liturgical language was intertwined with church politics and was strongly guided by national political needs. The issue of Finnish as the language of the Church in Finnish territory became the dividing line between the nationally-oriented priests and the Church’s highest authority, which was considered to be oriented toward Russia. Personal motives were also involved. When Sergei Okulov was replaced by theRussian monk Kiprian, the division became final. Okulov sought help from the Finnishauthorities. The minister of education E.N. Setälä played an important role in the fight against Russian influence. The issue of language was used as an excuse to terminateor to choose hierarchs who would lead the Church out of the hands of the Russians. The most extreme example of this dynamic was the election of Bishop Herman Aav.Archbishop Serafim was remoned from office by the Finnish authorities and the moresuitable Herman was elected to lead the Church towards its nationalist goals.
The written historiography of the Finnish Orthodox Church is confusing and in some cases inaccurate. The question of liturgical language was originally part of the Liturgical Movement at the end of the 19th century. This issue was soon taken over by political and personal ambitions. Public opinion was mainly machinated by Sergei Okulov and minister Setälä. Instead of theological and educational dimensions, political purposes became the guiding force in the creation of the national Finnish Orthodox Church – guided and funded by the Finnish state authorities. The transformation from a Russian into a Finnish Church was deliberately introduced as a vital struggle to gain independence and freedom. Opponents of this transformation were blamed and condemned. Finnish as a liturgical language became a weapon against foreign forces. Fair or not, this situation represents the authentic history of the Finnish Orthodox Church.
