Thousands of church-goers in Finland have turned their back on the country’s biggest church after Archbishop Kari Mäkinen welcomed the recent introduction of same-sex marriage in the Nordic country.

Last week, the Finnish government voted in favour of making marriage a reality for thousands of gay and lesbian couples, making Finland the final Nordic country to legislate for same-sex marriage.

Kari Mäkinen, the Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, the biggest church in the country with more than 4million members, praised the ruling. He said, “I know how much this day means for rainbow people, their loved ones and many others. I rejoice with my whole heart for them and with them.

“We are in the same situation as our neighbouring Nordic Churches: our concept of marriage needs a fundamental examination.”

Since the vote and the archbishop’s subsequent positive comments, it has been reported that almost 8,000 people have officially resigned from the Church using the online system.

Last week, Finnish MPs approved same-sex marriage by a narrow vote 105-92.