Aleksi Lehtonen

Aleksi Emanuel Lehtonen (21 June 1891 – 27 March 1951) was archbishop of Turku from 1945 till 1951.

The Most Reverend

Aleksi Lehtonen
Archbishop of Turku and Finland
ChurchEvangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
ArchdioceseTurku
Appointed14 March 1945
In office1945-1951
PredecessorErkki Kaila
SuccessorIlmari Salomies
Orders
Ordination10 June 1911
Consecration1934
Personal details
Born(1891-06-21)June 21, 1891
Uusikaupunki, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire Present-day Finland
DiedMarch 27, 1951(1951-03-27) (aged 59)
Turku, Finland
NationalityFinnish
DenominationLutheran
ParentsEmanuel Johansson Lehtonen & Fransiska Sofia Josefsdotter
SpouseKyllikki Margareta af Hällström
Children6
Previous postBishop of Tampere (1934-1945)
Ordination history of
Aleksi Lehtonen
History
Priestly ordination
Date10 June 1911
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorErkki Kaila
Co-consecratorsMax von Bonsdorff
Erling Eidem
Date1934

Education

Lehtonen was born on June 21, 1891, Uusikaupunki. He attended school in Uusikaupunki, where he graduated as a student at the age of 16. He studied theology at the University of Helsinki and graduated in 1911. He graduated with a Bachelor of Theology in 1917 and a Licentiate in 1921. He earned his Doctor of Theology in 1923.

Career

He was ordained to priesthood on 10 June 1911 and was appointed as priest in Lavia. In 1917 he became vicar of a parish in Helsinki and in 1922 he was appointed assistant professor of pastoral theology in University of Helsinki. In 1932 he became the Professor of Practical Theology.

After the sudden departure of Bishop Jaakko Gummerus, Lehtonen was elected Bishop of Tampere in 1934. He was consecrated that same year in Tampere Cathedral by three bishops, Erkki Kaila of Viipuri, Max von Bonsdorff of Borgå and Erling Eidem of Uppsala. It was through him that the apostolic succession was reinstated in the Church of Finland through the consecrated initiated by Erling Eidem, the Archbishop of Uppsala. Nevertheless, even though the apostolic succession was considered an important factor to reinstate, it was not considered a requirement by the Finnish Church for a valid consecration.[1] Lehtonen was appointed Archbishop of Turku on March 14, 1945 and was installed on June 10 in Turku Cathedral. He was active in the Ecumenical movement and sought Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland to have closer relationship with Church of England. His son Samuel Lehtonen became Bishop of Helsinki.[2]

Preceded by
Erkki Kaila		 Archbishop of Turku
1945–1951		 Succeeded by
Ilmari Salomies
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References
  1. "Report of the Committee Appointed to Confer with Representatives of the Church of Finland In Accordance with Resolution 38 of the Lambeth Conference, 1930", Anglican History. Retrieved on 16 April 2019.
  2. Lauha, Aila. "LEHTONEN, Aleksi", Biografiskt lexikon för Finland. Retrieved on 16 April 2019.


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