Helsinki, October 12, 2023
Cross procession in Mutalahti 1980. Photo: Pentti Potkonen/wiki.aineetonkulttuuriperinto.fi
The Orthodox tradition of cross processions has been added to the National Register of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Finland.
As the Finnish Church notes, processions, whether around a church or along a 100-mile path, are an indelible part of the spiritual life for all Orthodox Christian peoples.
The report also notes that the decision was made by the relevant authorities in the Church’s jubilee year of its 100th anniversary as an autonomous Church within the Patriarchate of Constantinople, for which a procession was held on September 9 from the Holy Trinity Church in Helsinki to the Holy Dormition Cathedral, which was attended by hundreds of Orthodox from all over Finland.
2023 is dedicated in Finland to the theme of Living Tradition, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Treaty on the Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which Finland signed a decade ago.
The introduction of the Orthodox tradition of cross processions into the register was initiated by the Finnish Orthodox Church and various Orthodox organizations and parishes.
Hundreds of processions of varying sizes are held in Finland every year, one of the most famous being the procession from Valamo to the Lintula Holy Trinity Convent (55 miles) for the celebration of the Icon of the Mother of God of Konevits in early July.
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