Ericus Erici Sorolainen

Who was Ericus Erici Sorolainen?

Ericus Erici Sorolainen was a Finnish Lutheran bishop, a Bishop of Turku from 1583 to 1625 as the successor to Paulus Juusten; and the administrator of the Diocese of Viipuri.

After his ordination to priesthood, he was sent to University of Rostock. After his studies he became 1578 headmaster of the school in Gävle. 1583 he was consecrated as bishop together with Petrus Benedicti, Nicolaus Stephani, and Christian Agricola with catholic ceremonies of the liturgy of John III. Soon after their episcopal consecration, these bishops had to sign a commitment to new Church Order, king John's liturgy, medieval tradition of church music and to use of some specific episcopal ceremonies, in addition to emphasis on study of Church Fathers. King John even planned sending Sorolainen to Constantinople for ecumenical dialogue with Orthodox Church. This dialogue was already formerly initiated by Tübingen theologians with Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople. Later in Synod of Uppsala, bishop Sorolainen together with Bishop Olaus Stephani Bellinus made secretly Calvinist Duke Charles his enemy by initiative of banning Calvinism in Sweden, which was decided by the synod.