Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
After an exceptionally important year for our Church - 2025, I would like to send you a message so that we can review together, in the light of the Holy Spirit, the blessings we have received and the tasks we have now received.
Last year, on December 19, 2024, I proclaimed a Year of Thanksgiving in the Catholic Church in Estonia when Pope Francis approved the beatification of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, and this will last until February 22, 2026, which is also the first memorial day of Blessed Eduard Profittlich.
We are still in this Year of Thanksgiving and we have reason to give thanks, because this year remains a turning point in the history of our Church. With joy and gratitude, we celebrated the elevation of the Estonian Catholic Church to the Diocese of Tallinn, the beatification of Bishop Eduard Profittlich, and our pilgrimage to Rome, where we were received by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. These three events form a spiritual triptych that illuminates our Catholic identity, deepens our unity, and renews our hope.
When the Holy See announced the elevation of our Church to the Diocese of Tallinn, we felt moved that our entire community was recognized as a living and stable reality, rooted in this land where the Gospel continues to bear fruit. This decision is much more than an administrative change - it is a sign of the trust of the universal Church in our local Catholic community. With this gesture, the Successor of Peter confirms that there is a Catholic community in Estonia that is able to structure itself, lead itself, and proclaim the Gospel with its own dynamism, always remaining faithful to the teaching of Christ. Our elevation to the new Diocese of Tallinn is not only a new rank, but also a responsibility. I invite you to accept this call to greater personal responsibility to support Christian education, encourage vocations, and nourish the pastoral charity that must radiate throughout our country.
Let us turn to the intercession of Blessed Eduard Profittlich in our needs. It is the conviction of the Church that when the Church declares someone blessed or a saint, God always rewards such a beautiful and courageous decision with special graces. Let us ask God with trust in all our needs, whether they are physical or spiritual, and we will see how God, as always, exceeds our expectations. And when we ask for the intercession of the saints, we do not turn to God less, but rather give Him more glory because we praise what He has done in the lives of those whom the Church has declared saints or blessed. They are truly the most worthy and beautiful part of God's creation, and therefore to invoke their intercession is the same as a special honor to give to God and to praise Him. Let us not be afraid, then, to ask for the intercession of Blessed Eduard. I have often done so myself and have already received much grace from God.
Many of us have received the plenary indulgence of the Holy or Jubilee Year, either during our pilgrimage to Rome or during other pilgrimages. The Holy Year is coming to an end soon, first in all the dioceses, and finally in Rome, on January 6, 2026, and the next Jubilee Year will not take place for another 25 years, so let us take advantage of the opportunities of these last days to receive this indulgence, because it is a great treasure that the Church generously shares with us and with our departed.
Dear brothers and sisters, may this blessed year be a call to conversion, trust and hope. Through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Blessed Bishop Eduard Profittlich, may the Lord make our diocese a living and visible sign of his love and goodness.
I bless you with all my heart and wish you all a very beautiful Christmas, uniting our families around Jesus, Mary and Saint Joseph.
+ Philippe Jourdan
Bishop of Tallinn
Tallinn, 8 December 2025
On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary