Pope elevates Apostolic Administration of Estonia to a Diocese

By Marge-Marie Paas*

The Holy Father has elevated the Apostolic Administration of Estonia to a diocese, and appointed Bishop Philippe Jourdan as first bishop of Tallinn. He is currently serving as the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia.

The Holy See Press Office announced the news on Thursday, as Pope Francis began his Apostolic Journey to Luxembourg and Belgium.

Roman Catholicism has existed on Estonian territory for at least 8 centuries, but the Catholic community was only constituted as a proper circumscription in the Roman-Catholic Church since 1924.

Pope Pius XI established the Apostolic Administration of Estonia that year, meaning the Catholics of Estonia were no longer under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Riga.

The Catholic community at that time was very small, numbering around 2,000. It was not possible at the time to create a diocese but only a temporary administrative structure, an Apostolic Administration, which took care of  the religious life of Catholics in Estonia.

The creation of the Diocese of Tallinn testifies to the stability of the situation of the Catholic Church in Estonia, and is also a recognition by the Catholic Church of the pastoral and organisational maturity of the Estonian Catholic community.

It means that the local Catholic Church in Estonia has developed the human, material and spiritual resources necessary to fully assume the responsibilities of a diocese.

This change is also an acknowledgement of the growth and importance of the Estonian Catholic community in Estonia, while also strengthening its spiritual and missionary spirit among the people of God in the territory of the Estonian Republic.

Becoming a diocese marks the Church's long-standing commitment to the region, and indicates that the Church considers the community to be strong and stable enough to justify a permanent ecclesiastical structure, led by its bishop.

According to the national census of Estonia, about 0.78% of the population is Catholic, and it is one of the few Churches in Europe recording steady growth.

The Catholics of Estonia, together with the Bishop of Tallinn, thank Pope Francis for this long-awaited decision.

* Communications Director of the Diocese of Tallinn