ROME - Diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Finland were established in 1942, some 74 years ago, but the Finnish representative to the Vatican is managed by the Embassy of Finland in Switzerland whose ambassador, Jari Luoto, recently took part, with other representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Vatican, at the audience of the beginning of the year that Pope Francis has reserved to ambassadors representing 180 nations with which the Vatican has diplomatic relations.

  In any case, a wing of the Villa Lante on the Janiculum, Rome, home to the Institutum Romanum Finlandiae, serves as a branch office for the Finnish embassy to the Holy See.

  In recent times, relations between Christians in Finland have developed in a positive way for the future of ecumenism and visits and meetings between delegations of Lutheran and Catholic church leaders have occurred often in the Vatican as well as in certain circumstances of common celebrations like the one for St. Henry, patron of Finland, at the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, where there is a chapel dedicated to the saint. The Catholic community in Finland is small, with less than ten thousand members, but it is growing.

  And a Mass, celebrated in Finnish, is scheduled, on the occasion of the Feast of Saint Henry of Finland, Tuesday, January 19, 2016 at 16:00, in Santa Maria sopra Minerva. The Mass will be presided by. Msgr. Teemu SIPPO, SCI, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Helsinki. The lecture will be held by Ambrosius, Metropolitan of the Orthodox diocese of Helsinki.

  The ecumenical celebration is organized by the Finnish Churches in collaboration with the Embassy of Finland to the Holy See.