Roman Catholicism in Estonia

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The Catholic Church in Estonia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.

[edit] The History of Catholicism in Estonia

In the beginning of the XIII century, Estonia was conquered by the Danes and the Teutonic Order and forcefully christianized. There is archeological proof, that Christianity was not unknown also in the centuries prior to these events, but it can only be speculated, if the dug out crosses and metal book corners mean, that at least some part of the Estonians, have been Christian.

The whole Estonia was subjugated most certainly at 1227. Up until the mid XVI century Estonia was divided by different catholic landlords and Estonia can thus be considered a catholic country, event though it is at that time impossible to speak of a unified nation.

As a result of the Livonian War medieval state system of Estonia was annihilated and Sweden gained at first northern part of Estonia, but later also the southern part of the country. Swedish rule, lasting all together from 1561-1710, meant forbading the Catholic faith and its replacement with the Lutheran branch of Christianity.

In the Great Northern War however Sweden lost Estonia to the emerging Russia, who governed the land from 1710 to 1918, granting vast privileges to the ruling Baltic German nobility of Estonia. One of them secured them religious freedom. During the XVIII century first Polish and Lithuanian immigrant noblemen started to make their own use of the right, which main aim had been to hold the Baltic governorates Lutheran. It is known, that the first catholic mass after more than a hundred years was held on 18 January, 1786. There were less than 300 catholics in Estonia at that time. Catholicism started slowly to revive. On 26 December, 1845 the new catholic church of Tallinn was concecrated and 1899 the new catholic church of Tartu.

In 1918, when Estonia finally gained its independence, Estonian citizens gained freedom of religion. The Holy See recognized Estonia for the first time on October 10, 1921. In 1936, Eduard Proffitlich was ordained as the first Estonian bishop. At the time when World War II broke out, there where almost 5,000 catholics in Estonia (Tallinn: 2.333, Tartu: 1.073, Narva: ca. 600, Valga: ca. 800). In 1939 Estonia was invaded by the Soviets, who arrested and detained Bishop Proffitlich, who died 1942 in a Soviet prison. During the Soviet occupation, all but two of Estonia's Catholic churches were closed. After World War II, Estonia regained its independence. Estonia was re-recognized by the Holy See on August 28, 1991. Estonia enjoyed its first Papal visit when Pope John Paul II visited in September, 1993.

[edit] The Current State of Catholicism in Estonia

The Catholic population of Estonia is very small, boasting only 6,000 adherents. There are no dioceses. Instead, the country forms an apostolic administration.

[edit] External links

• Homepage of the Catholic Church in Estonia
• History of the Catholic Church in Estonia
• Estonia and the Vatican
• An article about the history and heyday of the Catholic Church in Estonia in English
• Religion in Estonia: web encyclopedia Estonica