Estonia celebrates 100 year legacy of fidelity to Catholic faith

By Kielce Gussie

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia, Pope Francis sent a letter to Bishop Philippe Jean-Charles Jourdan of the Diocese of Tallinn. An apostolic administration is a Catholic community that has not been made a diocese by the Pope and is governed by an apostolic administrator.

The Pope’s message began by recalling his journey to Estonia in 2018 and he congratulated the milestone as it “marks a century of steadfast fidelity to the Catholic faith.” He praised the “small yet vibrant Church” for being a “source of compassion and spiritual nourishment for countless men and women across the nation.”

Pope Francis was the second pontiff to visit the country of Estonia after Pope John Paul II.

Witness of faith

In his letter, Pope Francis remembered the example of the Servant of God, Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, “whose witness to Christ and fortitude in remaining close to his flock, even to the shedding of his blood, sowed seeds which even today are bearing fruit.” The Pope expressed his wish that the Archbishop’s martyrdom and legacy will continue to inspire the “present generation of priests, religious and lay faithful” to be joyful missionaries.

In light of the war in Europe, the Pope shared his hope that as Estonian Catholics seek to create “a society rooted in peace, justice, solidarity, and the dignity of every human person,” they will “work with men and women of other Christian denominations” to achieve this mission. He challenged them not to forget those most in need by extending “the hand of friendship to refugees and the most vulnerable.”

A historic first

Pope Pius XI established the Apostolic Administration of Estonia in 1924, when there were only about 2,000 Catholics in the country. Today, Catholics make up about 1% of the country’s 1.3 million people and 60% of Estonians identify as having no religion.

On September 26 this year, Pope Francis created the first Catholic diocese in Estonia when he elevated the Apostolic Administration of the country to the status of a diocese. All of Estonia is included in the one Diocese of Tallinn. The apostolic administrator, Bishop Philippe Jean-Charles Jourdan, was named the first bishop of the diocese.