Archbishop Ilia, known in the world as Matti Wallgrén and head of the Orthodox Church of Finland, stated that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has caused disagreements within the Finnish church community.

According to him, some Russians living in Finland are angered by the fact that the leadership of the Finnish Orthodox Church has openly supported Ukraine from the very first days of the war. Disagreements have arisen not only among parishioners but also within the episcopate, among clergy, and other representatives of the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

Ilia emphasizes that a serious problem emerges when opinions diverge regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Under such circumstances, Archbishop Ilia believes that Russia may attempt to use internal disagreements for its own benefit.

“We Finns are often naive and easily trust people. We must be attentive and able to recognize signs of attempts to influence us,” the archbishop notes.

Ilia also said that he regularly maintains contact with the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (SUPO). These interactions are aimed at monitoring “possible hybrid attempts of Russian influence, sabotage, or exploitation of the conflict within church communities.”

According to Ilia, it is important for religious structures to remain vigilant and not perceive current events with excessive trustfulness. He stresses that the modern Orthodox Church of Finland is a multinational community with its own identity, independent of the Russian tradition.

According to Archbishop Ilia, the task of the Church is not “to carefully guard some Slavic cradle,” but to develop and strengthen Finnish Orthodoxy as a living, autonomous, and constantly evolving tradition.