Aleksi Emanuel Lehtonen (21 June 1891 – 27 March 1951) was

archbishop of Turku The Archdiocese of Turku ( fi, Turun arkkihiippakunta, sv, Åbo ärkestift), historically known as '' Archdiocese of Åbo'', is the seat of the Archbishop of Turku. It is a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, and its see city is ...

from 1945 till 1951.

Education

Lehtonen was born on June 21, 1891,

Uusikaupunki Uusikaupunki (; sv, Nystad, ) is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the Southwest Finland region, northwest of Turku and south of Pori. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is inland wate ...

. He attended school in Uusikaupunki, where he graduated as a student at the age of 16. He studied theology at the

University of Helsinki The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish ''Åbo'') in 1640 as the ...

and graduated in 1911. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Theology The Bachelor of Theology degree (BTh, ThB, or BTheol) is a three- to five-year undergraduate degree in theological disciplines and is typically pursued by those seeking ordination for ministry in a church, denomination, or parachurch organization. ...

in 1917 and a Licentiate in 1921. He earned his

Doctor of Theology Doctor of Theology ( la, Doctor Theologiae, abbreviated DTh, ThD, DTheol, or Dr. theol.) is a terminal degree in the academic discipline of theology. The ThD, like the ecclesiastical Doctor of Sacred Theology, is an advanced research degree equiva ...

in 1923.

Career

He was ordained to priesthood on 10 June 1911 and was appointed as priest in Lavia. In 1917 he became vicar of a parish in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

and in 1922 he was appointed assistant professor of pastoral theology in

. In 1932 he became the Professor of Practical Theology. After the sudden departure of Bishop Jaakko Gummerus, Lehtonen was elected Bishop of Tampere in 1934. He was consecrated that same year in

Tampere Cathedral Tampere Cathedral ( fi, Tampereen tuomiokirkko, sv, Tammerfors domkyrka; originally known as St. John's Church) is a Lutheran church in Tampere, Finland, and the seat of the Diocese of Tampere. The building was designed in the National Romantic s ...

by three bishops,

Erkki Kaila Erkki Kaila, previously Erik Johansson (2 June 1867 in Huittinen – 9 December 1944 in Turku) was the Archbishop of Turku, and the spiritual head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland between 1935 and 1944. He was a Member of Parliament ...

of Viipuri, Max von Bonsdorff of

Borgå Porvoo (; sv, Borgå ; la, Borgoa) is a city and a municipality in the Uusimaa region of Finland, situated on the southern coast about east of the city border of Helsinki and about from the city centre. Porvoo was one of the six medieval to ...

and

Erling Eidem Erling Eidem (23 April 1880 – 14 April 1972) was a Swedish theologian who served as archbishop of Uppsala 1931–1950. Eidem was son of Anders Magnus Andersson, a merchant in Gothenburg, and his spouse Pauline Eidem, whose maiden name h ...

of Uppsala. It was through him that the apostolic succession was reinstated in the Church of Finland through the consecration initiated by

, the Archbishop of Uppsala. Nevertheless, even though the apostolic succession was considered an important factor to reinstate, it was not considered a requirement by the Finnish Church for a valid consecration. Lehtonen was appointed Archbishop of Turku on March 14, 1945, and was installed on June 10 in

Turku Cathedral Turku Cathedral ( fi, Turun tuomiokirkko, sv, Åbo domkyrka) is the only medieval basilica in Finland and the Mother Church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is the central church of the Lutheran Archdiocese of Turku and the seat ...

. He was active in the

Ecumenical movement Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...

and sought

Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; sv, Evangelisk-lutherska kyrkan i Finland) is a national church of Finland. It is part of the Lutheran branch of Christianity. The church has a legal positio ...

to have closer relationship with

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

. His son

Samuel Lehtonen Samuel Lehtonen (3 February 1921, Helsinki – 20 August 2010) was the Lutheran bishop of the Diocese of Helsinki of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland ( fi, Suomen evankelis-luterilainen kirkko; ...

became Bishop of Helsinki.Lauha, Aila
"LEHTONEN, Aleksi"
''Biografiskt lexikon för Finland''. Retrieved on 16 April 2019.

References

External links

"Towards 'a real reunion'?" : Archbishop Aleksi Lehtonen's efforts for closer relations with the Church of England 1945–1951
by Mika K.T. Pajunen, 2008

1891 births 1951 deaths People from Uusikaupunki People from Turku and Pori Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Lutheran archbishops and bishops of Turku 20th-century Lutheran archbishops Academic personnel of the University of Helsinki {{Lutheran-stub