Why Catholicism is growing in Estonia
Estonia now has its first formal diocese - so what's going so right?
Catholics in Estonia arrived at a major milestone Thursday, when the Vatican announced the creation of the new Diocese of Tallinn.
The diocese replaces the Apostolic Administration of Estonia, which was founded in 1924 and covered the whole of the small Baltic nation.
The Diocese of Tallinn, based in the capital, will cover the same territory. Like the apostolic administration, it will be immediately subject to the Holy See, rather than dependent on a metropolitan archdiocese.
The diocese’s creation will be proclaimed formally this Sunday, Sept. 29, at St. Peter and St. Paul’s Cathedral in Tallinn by the new Vatican ambassador to Estonia, a certain Archbishop Georg Gänswein.
What does the change signify?
‘A small flock with a large heart’
Above all, it’s a recognition of the growth of Estonia’s Catholic community since the country regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
According to the catholic-hierarchy.org, the number of Catholics almost doubled between 1999 and 2022, from 3,500 to 6,700.
Admittedly, the numbers are still comparatively small. Catholics account for less than 1% of Estonia’s total population of around 1.3 million. But during his 2018 visit to Tallinn, Pope Francis described the Catholic community as “a small flock with a large heart.”
Around 60% of Estonians profess “no religion,” leading commentators to describe Estonia as one of the world’s least religious countries. But that label doesn’t do justice to the complex reality. There are significant Eastern Orthodox and Lutheran minorities (the latter a legacy of Swedish rule), as well as small pockets of Muslims and neopagans.
Marge-Marie Paas, Tallinn diocese’s communication director, said the creation of a diocese was “an acknowledgment 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.”
In a Sept. 26 message welcoming Tallinn’s elevation to a diocese, local Bishop Philippe Jourdan said it was “a turning point in the history of the Catholic Church of Estonia.”
“Today, 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,” wrote the French-born bishop, who is a member of Opus Dei.
‘More young people are coming’
Who are the Catholics of Estonia? You might assume they are largely migrants and that’s the reason for the local Church’s growth.
Immigration to Estonia is indeed increasing. There are significant numbers of Catholics from the nearby countries of Lithuania and Poland. There is also a notable Ukrainian Greek Catholic diaspora.
Nevertheless, most Catholics are native Estonians. And there were reportedly more than 50 Catholic baptisms in the country last year.
“Every day there are a good number of people coming to the faith,” Bishop Jourdan told the Spanish magazine Omnes. “In recent years, moreover, we have noticed that more and more young people are coming: people between 20-30 years of age, asking to be baptized or to be received into the Catholic Church.”
All being well, the erection of a diocese will lead to further growth. As Jourdan noted in his Sept. 26 message, “a diocese allows for pastoral continuity, greater closeness to Catholics, and a long-term vision for the spiritual and pastoral development of the community.”
The bishop is looking ahead to “new pastoral, social, educational, and charitable projects.” These should raise the Catholic Church’s profile in a country that is small but nevertheless influential thanks to its advanced position in the digital revolution.
Amazing news. I have been to Estonia only once and had no idea that its Catholic population was so tiny. But Sweden and Norway are also increasing their tiny Catholic populations very considerably. I recall a Swedish government minister back in the 1970s declaring that there was no future for the Church in Sweden. But he is probably dead now and the multi lingual Swedish Church is thriving, albeit with a huge variety of immigrants.
It is good that so many new Catholics are native Estonians. It is difficult enough building a Church from a tiny foundation without having it perceived as a foreign import.
As a proud Estonian-American, I am delighted to hear this!