Hiippakunta

Hiippakunta is the Finnish term for a diocese, the territorial and administrative unit of certain Christian churches headed by a bishop. A hiippakunta typically covers a geographic area that includes multiple parishes or congregations. The diocese has a cathedral, which serves as the bishop's seat, and a diocesan administration responsible for coordinating pastoral work, church education, property, finances, and mission within the diocese.

Within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish Orthodox Church, the hiippakunta represents the primary level of church governance beneath the national church. Each diocese is led by a bishop, who exercises pastoral oversight, confirms members, oversees ordinations, and provides liturgical guidance. The bishop is supported by diocesan staff and a council or similar body in many church traditions.

Parishes or congregations belong to a diocese and cooperatively carry out worship, sacraments, and social work. Clergy are assigned to parishes, and the diocese coordinates education, youth programs, and ecumenical activities across its territory. The diocese reports to the national church leadership, and its bishops participate in national church decisions and policy.

Historically, the diocese is a long-standing form of church jurisdiction that emerged in the Christian world in late antiquity and medieval Europe. In Finland, hiippakunnat have continued into the Lutheran era and, in parallel, in the Finnish Orthodox tradition, forming the backbone of local church organization. The term emphasizes the link between geography, ministry, and episcopal authority in Finnish church life.