Pope Francis creates Tallinn diocese
Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church worldwide, has elevated the apostolic administration of Estonia to the status of a diocese, Postimees reported.
The new Diocese of Tallinn will be headed by long-serving head of the apostolic administration, Bishop Philippe Jourdan, who said of the development: "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," the bishop added.
The change represents recognition of the growth and importance of the Catholic community in Estonia, not a majority Catholic country, and support and cooperation with other dioceses in the world as well as with the various structures of the church, the church said on its website.
The apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, announced the pope's decision at the St. Peter and St. Paul's Cathedral in Tallinn on Thursday, concurrently with the announcement being made of the decision in Rome.
The number of practicing Catholics living in Estonia is estimated at around 7,000, while the Church also stands out in being one of the few ones to be growing.
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