Leena Huovinen, who is a university minister as well as minister for the Olympic teams, blessed a newly registered lesbian couple at a restaurant in Helsinki two years ago.

A complaint was made against her to the church authorities by eight theology students.

Huovinen says she did not break any church law. She adds that her blessing was not an act of the Church, because it has no official rules for the blessing of registered partnerships. The Church authorities agreed.

But Helsinki's Bishop, Eero Huovinen, warns against drawing any conclusions from this.

"This is a decision regarding one minister in one parish," he told YLE. "It is the first, but it is not a precedent."

Leena Huovinen also stressed that she wanted to be a spiritual support for all members of her congregation. Her actions are not unique. In the absence of church policy, ministers around the country have blessed around a dozen gay marriages - although never inside a church.

Complaint Against Axe-Wielding Minister

A member of the Lapinlahti diocese in northern Savo has made a complaint against its vicar, Markku Suokonautio. The complaint requested church authorities to look into whether he acted inappropriately by preaching with an axe in his hand.

Suokonautio was using the axe as part of a costume in which he portrayed the farmer Lalli, who murdered Bishop Henrik with an axe in the 12th century. Henrik was later made a saint.

Suokonautio says that he cleared the use of the axe with the police, who had no problem with him bringing it into the pulpit as a visual aide.

In the same complaint, the parishioner wanted church officials to investigate Suokonautio’s comments on YLE’s morning show last month, in which he said the Church should approve same-sex marriage as soon as possible.