On December 18, 2024, His Holiness Pope Francis granted permission for the beatification of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich SJ (1890–1942). The ceremony will take place on May 17, 2025, at Tallinn's Town Hall Square during the Holy Mass, which will be presided over by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn as the Pope's representative. The Mass is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM.

This is a historic event for the Estonian Catholic Church, for all of Estonia, and for the Estonian people. Archbishop Eduard Profittlich shared the fate of many fellow Estonians, choosing to remain in Estonia even when he had the opportunity to return to his homeland of Germany. He remained true to his calling and to God, remaining a faithful shepherd to the Estonian people until his martyrdom in Kirov prison in Soviet Russia.

For this event, a large number of pilgrims and guests are expected to arrive in Tallinn, both from neighboring countries and further afield, including relatives of Archbishop Profittlich from Germany. The Tallinn Diocese is doing everything to ensure that the event is well organized, open to all interested parties, and filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit. In connection with this, the official program of the event and practical information for participants has been published.

Tallinn Diocese, February 9, 2025.

The beatification of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, which will take place on May 17, 2025, at Town Hall Square in Tallinn — the very place where Saint Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in 1993 — is a historic moment of grace for the Catholic Church in Estonia.

This extraordinary event invites us all to celebrate with dignity and unity the life, faith and love of one man in Christ and to pay homage to his martyrdom and, as sacred theology says, martyrdom is the highest form of holiness!

Such a celebration, however, requires considerable human and material resources: the organisation of the Holy Mass in Town Hall Square, the preparation of the entire venue, logistics, the reception of pilgrims, marketing, the broadcasting of the event on ETV, as well as the costs associated with the solemn liturgy, etc. The list could go on and on.

In addition to the beatification ceremony, we also want to complete the furnishing of the crypt chapel in Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral, which will become the world's first chapel dedicated to the newly beatified Archbishop (together with a museum section) after the beatification. This is our gift to Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, who loved our Church here in the Land of Mary so dearly.

Today, we appeal to your generosity to help make this a day to remember. Your donation, however small, is a precious building block in the spiritual edifice we are constructing together. Every contribution will help to make this event accessible to all and will bear witness to the vitality of our faith.

By making a donation, you are not only supporting the practical organisation of the event, but you are also participating spiritually. It is a way of saying "yes" to the light that Archbishop Profittlich carried and that we are called to pass on in turn. 

Donations:

Rooma-Katoliku Kirik Eestis
AS SEB PANK
IBAN : EE611010220267043227
SWIFT/BIC  : EEUHEE2XXXX
Reference: Eduard Profittlich

Together, let us give glory to God by honouring the memory of this great witness of faith.

We thank you in advance for your generosity and entrust the preparation of this blessing to your prayers. Thank you to all the people who have already contributed to the process over the years. It has borne fruit and is now coming to fruition!

God bless you abundantly.

Dear brothers and sisters!

I am very pleased to inform you that the Holy See has confirmed the beatification of the first apostolic administrator of Estonia, Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, on May 17, 2025 in Tallinn. Estonia will gain its first Catholic blessed martyr, Eduard Profittlich!

The beatification will be performed by Cardinal Christoph Schönborn O.P. of Vienna, representing the Pope.

Beatification is an event in which the Church publicly recognizes the extraordinary life and fidelity of a believer to God. Participating in this ceremony gives us the opportunity to experience the sacred and deepen our personal relationship with God. Above all, we honor Archbishop Eduard Profittlich as a bearer of heroic witness to the faith during the Soviet persecution, who gave his life to remain faithful to Christ. On the other hand, it is of course a historic and extraordinary event that confirms the importance of Estonia in the history and future of the Catholic Church.

We now have a few months to prepare for this historic event. The beatification ceremony will take place at Tallinn's Town Hall Square, where a solemn Mass will be held, led by Cardinal Schönborn, whom Pope Francis has appointed to come to Estonia for this specific occasion.

Dear brothers and sisters, I invite you to be part of this special event, which is important not only for Estonian Catholics but for many other people, both in Estonia and abroad! And please also pass on my invitation to your acquaintances and loved ones, perhaps especially to families who have lost members in concentration camps during those tragic years of occupation.

The proclamation of the blessed requires a lot of work to ensure that it is prepared with dignity and touches the entire Estonian society. Therefore, I ask for your help and support in preparing for this grand event and covering the costs. It does not matter whether someone can help or donate a lot or a little; what is important is that we feel this event is our collective action in honor of God – because the saints give glory to God – and for the sake of people's souls – because the saints are our role models.

Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of Maarjamaa, help us all during this special time leading up to May 17. 

+Philippe Jourdan

Bishop of Tallinn

February 10, 2025