Pope Francis elevated apostolic administration of Estonia to status of diocese of Tallinn

Photo: Sander Ilvest

Pope Francis has decided to elevate the apostolic administration of Estonia to the status of diocese of Tallinn and to appoint Bishop Philippe Jourdan the bishop of the new diocese.

The apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, announced the pope's decision in St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral in Tallinn on Thursday, simultaneously with the announcement of the decision in Rome.

«Becoming a diocese testifies to the stabilization of our ecclesial situation and is also a recognition by the Holy See of the pastoral and organizational maturity of the Estonian Catholic community. It means that the local church has developed the human, material and spiritual resources necessary to fully assume the responsibilities of a diocese,» Bishop Philippe Jourdan said.

In contrast to the apostolic administration, a diocese is a stable and permanent structure, equal to any other diocese in the world. Its establishment makes it possible to structure the local Catholic community around the bishop of the diocese, who becomes the spiritual father and shepherd of the local church. Unlike the apostolic administration, where the bishop may be a temporary shepherd or even come from another diocese, a diocese allows for pastoral continuity, greater closeness to Catholics and a long-term vision for the spiritual and pastoral development of the community.

This change is also an acknowledgement of the growth and importance of the Catholic community in Estonia. It attracts more attention, support and cooperation with other dioceses in the world, as well as with the various structures of the church, the church body said on its website.

The change marks a turning point in the history of the Catholic church of Estonia. The apostolic administration of Estonia was essentially a transitional institution, created by the Holy See 100 years ago, in 1924. The Estonian state was then very young and the Catholic community in Estonia was quite small, consisting of about 2,000 members.

There are about 6,500 Catholic believers in Estonia now and the church here is one of the few churches in Europe whose membership is constantly growing.