The Diocese of Helsinki (in Finnish

Finnish language

Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...

 Helsingin hiippakunta; in Swedish

Swedish language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

 Helsingfors stift) is a Diocese

Diocese

A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

 of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland is the national church of Finland. The church professes the Lutheran branch of Christianity, and is a member of the Porvoo Communion....

, and the seat of the Bishop of Helsinki. Its cathedral is Helsinki Cathedral

Helsinki Cathedral

Helsinki Cathedral is an Evangelical Lutheran cathedral of the Diocese of Helsinki, located in the centre of Helsinki, Finland. The church was originally built as a tribute to the Grand Duke, Nicholas I, the Tsar of Russia and until the independence of Finland in 1917, it was called St...

.

The Diocese was established in 1959 by dividing the Diocese of Tampere

Diocese of Tampere

The Diocese of Tampere is the second oldest and the largest diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is divided into 69 parishes with a total population of over 660,000 people. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Tampere.-History:...

. It covers only 1% of the country's territory, but contains 10% of the population. The diocese comprises 39 parishes. It was divided again in 2002, when the western part became the Diocese of Espoo

Diocese of Espoo

The Diocese of Espoo is the newest of the nine dioceses of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The diocese came into existence in 2004 after the Diocese of Helsinki was split in two. The seat of the diocese is the Espoo Cathedral and its first and current bishop is Mikko Heikka. In...

 2004. Irja Askola

Irja Askola

Irja Kaarina Askola born December 18, 1952 in Lappeenranta is the Bishop of Helsinki in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.The Diocese was established in 1959 by dividing the Diocese of Tampere. It covers only 1% of the country's territory, but contains 10% of the population. The diocese...

 was ordained on 12 September, 2010, and thus become the first female bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

Bishops of Helsinki

• Martti Simojoki
  Martti Simojoki
  Martti Ilmari Simojoki, previously Simelius was the Archbishop of Turku, and the spiritual head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland between 1964 and 1978....
  
   1959–1964
• Aarre Lauha 1964–1972
• Aimo T. Nikolainen 1972–1982
• Samuel Lehtonen
  Samuel Lehtonen
  Samuel Lehtonen was the Lutheran bishop of the Diocese of Helsinki of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland from 1982-1991.-Notes:...
  
   1982–1991
• Eero Huovinen
  Eero Huovinen
  Eero Huovinen is the former Bishop of Helsinki in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.- Biography :...
  
   1991–2010
• Irja Askola
  Irja Askola
  Irja Kaarina Askola born December 18, 1952 in Lappeenranta is the Bishop of Helsinki in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.The Diocese was established in 1959 by dividing the Diocese of Tampere. It covers only 1% of the country's territory, but contains 10% of the population. The diocese...
  
  2010–