Ecumenical Christmas
Entry to football match and the Ecumenical Christmas event at the Cathedral is free.
The event at the Cathedral will be televised, so please arrive at the church by 17:40.
The recording will be broadcast on channel TV1 on Christmas Eve around 11 a.m.
The Chair of the Finnish Red Cross (FRC) and former Secretary of State, Pertti Torstila, has been invited as the bringer of the humanitarian message for the Ecumenical Christmas. The FRC plays a nationally central role in organizing reception and emergency lodging for the asylum seekers.
“The refugee situation is not going to change quickly, and many asylum seekers will continue to come also to Finland. We must keep our patience in order to retain peace in this difficult situation. I am very happy about all those thousands of volunteers who have worked for humanity during the whole autumn even in difficult conditions. With a humane attitude we can win,” Torstila reminds.
With a humane attitude we can win.
Pertti Torstila
Two events open to public
The programme of Ecumenical Christmas consists of two events open to public: A friendly football match at the Impivaara football hall at 14:00 and the Ecumenical Christmas in Turku, Finland evening at the Turku Cathedral at 18:00.
A football match against racism at 14:00
”Football players and clubs condemn racism and discrimination in all its forms,” Jouni Koivuniemi, Head of Turku District of the Football Association of Finland, reminds.
Two joint teams will compete in a match, and the public is welcome to come and cheer for them. The teams contain players from among asylum seekers, top football players in Finland e.g. Marco Casagrande and Jarno Heinikangas and players of FC Inter and FC TPS representative teams. The match will be opened by Archbishop Kari Mäkinen and the referee will be Mattias Gestranius, a top-class match official.
Representatives of the Finnish Red Cross will be there providing information on how to help the asylum seekers in Turku, as well as raising funds for refugees. Gingerbread and mulled wine will be served.
Event at the Turku Cathedral at 18:00
Is there room in our inn? This is the question which will be asked at the Turku Cathedral. The call for peace will be presented by Archbishop Leo of the Orthodox Church of Finland together with Archbishop Kari Mäkinen of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Bishop Teemu Sippo of the Catholic Church in Finland, and District Superintendent Pasi Runonen of the Finnish Methodist Church. The humanitarian message will be brought by Chair of the Finnish Red Cross Pertti Torstila.
Also soprano Hedvig Paulig, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Pertti Pekkanen, Turku Cathedral Youth Choir with conductor Anu Åberg, cantor Jukka Pietilä, and organist Markku Hietaharju will be performing at the Cathedral.