The Supreme Court has summoned Päivi Räsänen to appear on 30 October. In a six-year-long case, two courts had already ruled that the former Finnish interior minister's views on the Bible cannot be considered hate speech against homosexuals.
Päivi Räsänen speaking to the media at the Helsinki Court in September 2023. / Photo: Virpi Kurvinen, [link]Uusi Tie[/link].
Päivi Räsänen, a former Finnish interior minister with strong Christian convictions, has already marked the date on her calendar when she will appear before the Finnish Supreme Court: 30 October 2025.
Her case has had international repercussions since police investigations against her began in 2019, when she posted a text from the New Testament's Letter to the Romans on her social media to express her disagreement with the support of the official Lutheran Church (of which she is a member) for LGBTQI Pride events.
After several police interrogations and a formal indictment by the attorney general, Päivi Räsänen won the right in court to express her views on sexual ethics from her perspective of the Bible in two instances: the Helsinki District Court in March 2022 and then the Helsinki Court of Appeals in November 2023.
Although six judges (three in each court) dismissed the claim that Päivi Räsänen expressed hatred against the homosexual community, the prosecutor's office decided to appeal the ruling to the highest possible court, the Supreme Court, which has now set a date for the hearing.
The experienced Christian doctor and politician has repeatedly expressed, including in Evangelical Focus, her peace of mind and clear conscience in the face of a trial that she hopes will set a “strong precedent” that will protect religious freedom and freedom of expression in Finland in the future.
All informations published by Evangelical Focus about this case in recent years can be found here.
Päivi Räsänen responded in a column published by Uusi Tie magazine in Finland in July to the question of whether she would leave the country's Lutheran Church.
[photo_footer] Column by Päivi Räsänen published on 2 July 2025 on Uusi Tie. [/photo_footer] “I rejoice in the worship communities of the revivalist movements committed to the teachings of the Bible, some of which can still operate within the church,” she wrote. “But I am particularly concerned about the young people who are now seeking Jesus on the fringes of the church and who are being led astray from the solid foundation of God's word. They need something better”.
More specifically, she added: "The decision to leave the church is not an easy one for me. The national church has a rich history of revival, billions in assets, beautiful church buildings, 19,000 employees, and the opportunity to reach large crowds. Is it really enough that the Lord's Prayer is still read in a church that has fallen into pride? Could the church be like the prodigal son, who, after squandering his inheritance, repents and returns to be renewed? Or do we need a new community that truly continues the confessional church that our national church has lost? I pray for wisdom and the right moment for my own decision".
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