The Palestinian Ambassador to Finland Expressed Appreciation for Archbishop Leo of Finland’s Stance Regarding the Burning of the Holy Book

Finish Orthodox Church – OCP News Service – 22/08/2023

Helsinki – Finland: Archbishop Leo of Helsinki and the whole of Finland was received by the ambassador of Palestine to Finland, H.E. Taissir Al-Adjouri on August 21, 2023, at Liisankatu residence. The meeting was also attended by the secretary of the embassy.

According to the official statement:

Ambassador Al Adjouri has served in Finland for nine years. At the beginning of the meeting, he thanked the archbishop for his stance on the burning of the Koran in Sweden and agreed with the archbishop’s view that the burning of books considered sacred by religious communities cannot be justified by religious freedom. The ambassador also expressed his concern about the difficult situation of the Christians in Palestine, which, according to him, does not get enough attention from the Finnish media.

The archbishop particularly recalled his most recent trip to Jerusalem, which took place in 2014, where he was a guest of PatriarchTheophilos of Jerusalem for a week during Easter. That week, he had the opportunity to attend daily services in different churches and meet Palestinian influencers from different walks of life.

The ambassador and the archbishop also discussed the possibility of having a photo exhibition of the churches of Bethlehem organized by UNESCO to be displayed in Finland.

Finally, the ambassador presented the archbishop with an icon of the institution of communion, with the Lord’s Prayer written on the lower side.

Source:

OCP News Service & Finish Orthodox Church