Out of the five candidates for the next bishop of the Finnish capital Helsinki, Irja Askola and Matti Poutiainen made it through to the second round on Tuesday.

Rev Askola is the first woman to make it to the second round in episcopal elections in any diocese in Finland.

One of the distinctions between views held by the candidates concerns marriage. Rev Askola would bless same-sex couples, whereas Rev Poutiainen believes that marriage is something solely between a man and a woman.

The second round of voting is to be held on 3 June because no candidate received over half the votes of the electors on Tuesday.

Eero Huovinen, the current bishop of Helsinki, is to retire at the beginning of September.

STT