Under the patronage of the Finnish state, its Grand Master is the Archbishop of the Orthodox Church of Finland [fi].

[2] The term semi-official is somewhat unspecific, but is conventionally used in the Finnish context to denote those orders and decorations that are not established by the state but are recognized by it to a degree.

Accordingly, the chancery of the Orders of the White Rose of Finland and the Lion of Finland specifies that it is to be worn after all official decorations and "Memorial Crosses and Memorial Medals of the War of Independence, Winter War, and Continuation War and other Crosses of Merit and Medals of Merit of patriotic activity in chronological order",[14][12] the most junior of which is the Medal of Merit of Volunatry National Defence Work [fi].

On March 31, 1933, the committee announced the winning designs by Senior Deacon Leo Kasanko of Sortavala.

Only small changes were made, most notably with regards to the shape of the cross held by the Lamb of God, which was simplified to ease manufacturing.

[18] The statutes of the order were approved by the general synod of the Orthodox Church of Finland [fi] in Sortavala on June 20, 1935, and a commission it had set affirmed the decision on November 8.

[13] The Church's administrative council, based in Kuopio, serves as the board of the order and records all holders in its minutes.

[1] The Grand Cross is primarily reserved for foreign bishops and archbishops and is rarely awarded to Finnish nationals.

[2] In principle, it can be awarded to other archbishops and bishops, members of the Finnish Government, and holders of the Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland.

The ecumenical nature of the order has been taken as a sign of the traditionally good relations between the Orthodox and Lutheran Churches in Finland.