The Metropolitan Elder '''John (Rinne) of Nicea''', of a titular [[see]] of the [[Church of Constantinople]], was the Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland from 1987 to 2001 when he resigned and was transferred by the Patriarchate of Constantinople to his present seethe honorary post of metropolitan of Nicaea.

Born John Wilho Rinne, Elder John was born in Turku, Finland in the year on [[August 16]], 1923. He pursued his theological education in Finland, New York, England, Greece, and the Soviet Union. He received a doctorate in theology from the Abo Akademi University of in Finland in 1966 and from Aristotle followed by studies in [[canon law]] at the Aristotelian University of [[Thessalonica ]] in 1971. After graduation he taught theology at a number of high schools and universities in Finland.

In 1967, he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] at the [[Monastery of St. John the Theologian (Patmos, Greece)|Monastery of St. John the Theologian]] on the Island of Patmos. Subsequently, he was [[ordination|ordained ]] a [[deacon]] and then [[priest]] at the patriarchate in Istanbul. On [[May 26]], 1969, Fr. John was [[consecration of a bishop|consecrated ]] Bishop of Lapland, an [[auxiliary bishop]] of the Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland. In October 1987, Bp. John was elected Archbishop of Karelia and All Finland, a position he held until he voluntarily resigned in 2001.

Subsequent to his resignation he was given the titular metropolitan see of [[Nicea]] by the patriarchate of Constantinopleuntil his repose in Turku, Finland, on [[July 1]], 2010.

years= 1969-1970|after=?}}{{succession|before=?|title=Archbishop of Helsinki|years=1970-1987|

after=[[Leo (Makkonen) of Finland|Leo (Makkonen)]]}}{{succession|before=?|title=Metropolitan of Nicea<br>Church of Constantinople (retired)|years=2001-2010|after=&mdash;}}{{end box}}

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