Finland’s Supreme Court to rule on free-speech case against MP Päivi Räsänen & Bishop Pohjola over Christian views on marriage. Verdict due tomorrow.
Newsroom (31/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) Finland’s Supreme Court is scheduled to deliver its final verdict tomorrow in a closely watched free-speech case against former Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, both charged with hate crimes for articulating traditional Christian teachings on marriage and sexuality.
The defendants, represented by ADF International, face prosecution over a 2019 tweet by Räsänen questioning the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland’s sponsorship of Helsinki Pride, as well as a 2004 pamphlet she authored titled Male and Female He Created Them: Homosexual Relationships Challenge the Christian Concept of Humanity. The 24-page booklet, published by Pohjola, examines biblical perspectives on gender and expresses concerns about the societal and psychological impacts of normalizing same-sex relationships on youth.
“This case tests whether quoting the Bible and upholding its teachings can be criminalized in 21st-century Europe,” ADF International argued in court filings.
Paul Coleman, the organization’s executive director, emphasized the broader implications: “You don’t need to share Päivi’s views to recognize that in a democracy, everyone must be free to express them without facing criminal sanctions.”
Räsänen, a Christian Democrat MP, has framed the proceedings as evidence of eroding Christian influence in public life. The case has also spotlighted tensions between religious liberty and free expression.
In a related development earlier this month, the Lutheran Church of Norway issued a formal apology to the nation’s LGBTQ community for historical discrimination and harassment.
Across the continent, secularism debates continue to flare. In France, Marseille’s left-wing mayor, Benoit Payan, recently canceled a screening of a Christian docu-fiction film citing secular principles—only for a court to overturn the decision, deeming it an unlawful restriction on free expression.
Bishop Pohjola expressed measured optimism ahead of the ruling. “The process has been lengthy, but I welcome its conclusion,” he said. “I approach the oral hearing with confidence, ready to affirm with a clear conscience that every person possesses inviolable dignity and to articulate the Christian understanding of marriage.”
Lower courts have twice acquitted the pair. Both the Helsinki District Court and the Court of Appeal ruled that Räsänen’s statements fell short of legal thresholds for incitement to hatred or defamation.
Outside the Supreme Court today, the Finnish Association for Freedom of Speech and Religion plans a rally to protest what it describes as growing threats to religious expression within Finland’s Christian communities.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from https://brusselssignal.eu/
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