Irja Askola
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The Right Reverend Irja Askola | |
|---|---|
| Bishop Emeritus of Helsinki | |
 | |
| Church | Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland |
| Elected | 2010 |
| Predecessor | Eero Huovinen |
| Successor | Teemu Laajasalo |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 1988 |
| Consecration | 12 September 2010 by Kari Mäkinen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 18, 1952 |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Alma mater | University of Helsinki |
Irja Kaarina Askola (born 18 December 1952 in Lappeenranta, Finland) is the former Bishop of Helsinki. She was the first female Finnish bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.
Askola was the Bishop of Helsinki from 2010 to 2017.
Askola first became involved with the Church as a child after the early death of her father.[1] She started her theological studies at the University of Helsinki 1971 and continued them as an academic research assistant until 1981. In 1982 she was named the editor-in-chief of Vartija magazine together with Simo Knuuttila.[2]
She graduated as Master of Theology in 1975, and was ordained as a priest in 1988.
Askola has worked as an executive secretary for the Conference of European Churches, based in Geneva, Switzerland from 1991 to 1999. She has also worked as a Special Advisor in Theological Affairs to the Bishop Mikko Heikka.[3]
She was elected Bishop of Helsinki in June 2010 as successor to Eero Huovinen; she was chosen on the second round of the election with 591 votes.[4]
