The Diocese of Tampere is the second oldest and the largest diocese in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. It is divided into 69 parishes with a total population of over 595,000 people. The diocese is led by the Bishop of Tampere.

History

The history of the diocese goes back over 450 years. It was founded in 1554 when King Gustav Vasa divided the diocese of Turku, extending over the whole country, into two parts. At first, the new diocese was established in Viipuri, the first bishop being Paavali Juusteen. After the Russian occupation of Viipuri in 1723, the bishop's seat was moved to Porvoo instead. But with the foundation of a new Swedish Diocese in Porvoo in 1923, the second oldest diocese of Finland had to move to Tampere; since then the diocese has been called the Diocese of Tampere. Tampere Cathedral opens every day but places some limitations on the number of hours it is opened. At the upper part of the cathedral, there is The Wounded Angel.

The Bishop of Tampere

The Bishop of Tampere is the leader of the Diocese of Tampere. In 2024, the current bishop is the Rt Revd Matti Repo.

Bishops of Viipuri

List of bishops of Viipuri from 1554 to 1723:

Bishops of Porvoo

List of bishops of Porvoo from 1723 to 1923:

Bishops of Tampere

List of bishops of Tampere from 1923 to the present: