During the Second World War, Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, Apostolic Administrator of Tallinn, was taken to the Soviet Union and never returned. Only decades later, after the Iron Curtain fell and Estonia regained its independence, did information about the final stage of his life become available.
On the night of June 27, 1941, Eduard Profittlich was arrested in Tallinn and transferred to the prison in Kirov, 800 km from Moscow. He was interrogated there from August until November – always at night, which was likely thought to increase the effectiveness of the questioning.
In November, the local court found him guilty of the charges brought against him: of assisting members of the Catholic clergy to leave Estonia and of promoting counterrevolutionary activity within the Church.
The court sentenced him to death by shooting, but before the sentence could be carried out, he died in poor health in the Kirov prison on February 22, 1942.
Eduard Profittlich SJ was consecrated bishop in Tallinn on December 27, 1936. In the photo, the new bishop is seated on the right next to his consecrator, Nuncio Antonino Arata. Standing behind them are the co-consecrators: on the left Auxiliary Bishop Jāzeps Rancāns of Riga, and on the right the Apostolic Vicar of Finland, Bishop Guglielmus Cobben SCJ.
The Preceding Decision
The final period of Profittlich’s life is now well known. Yet before his arrest and death, there was a moment of discernment crucial to his martyrdom. Being German, he considered his options in the autumn of 1940: should he return home, or remain in Estonia, occupied by the Soviet Union that June, as the shepherd of his entrusted flock? He corresponded with Rome and, after a long wait, received the pope’s response via the Berlin nunciature: the flock longs for its shepherd. Upon receiving it, he wrote to his relatives:
“It is indeed right that a shepherd remains with his flock and shares its joys and sorrows. And I must say that although this decision required several weeks of preparation, I did not make it out of fear or anxiety, but with great joy […]. I would like to tell everyone how good God is to us when we surrender ourselves entirely to Him, how happy a person can be when willing to give everything – freedom and life – for Christ’s sake. Whatever may come, I know that God is with me. Then all will be well. My life – and, if it is so ordained, also my death – is life and death in Christ. And that is infinitely beautiful.”
Beatification
When Pope Francis decided to declare Archbishop Eduard blessed, and Pope Leo later confirmed the date of the celebration, the beatification could finally be held on Saturday, September 6. Around fifteen hundred Catholics and other faithful gathered at Tallinn’s Freedom Square. There were representatives from society and other Christian communities, as well as dozens of Catholic bishops and priests concelebrating the beatification Mass.
The Mass was celebrated by the Pope’s envoy, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn OP, Archbishop Emeritus of Vienna. Among the participants were Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, Archbishop Emeritus of Krakow and longtime private secretary to Pope John Paul II, and Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Apostolic Nuncio to the Baltic States and former private secretary to Pope Benedict XVI.
The ceremony took place under the blazing summer sun. Volunteers from the Maltese relief organization cared for the faithful, providing water and assistance when needed. A large choir and orchestra performed beside the main altar, with Mari Järvi, well known also in Finland, playing the organ.
The beatification occurred at the beginning of the Mass. After the reading of the papal bull, a large image of the new blessed was unveiled, and a blue glass frame containing his relic – the letter to his family – was brought to the altar. The Church possesses no bodily relics of Blessed Eduard, as his burial place remains unknown. However, beneath Tallinn Cathedral, a small chapel now preserves his memory, with an adjoining exhibition displaying his personal effects, books, and liturgical vestments – relics in a broader sense.
The rite concluded with the solemn Gloria and the day’s prayer, in which for the first time the Church publicly invoked Blessed Eduard in liturgical prayer. After the Liturgy of the Word, Cardinal Schönborn gave a moving homily, stating that Archbishop Profittlich’s martyrdom shows the Christian path in times of persecution: to remain faithful to one’s flock, to trust in God completely, and to preserve joy in Christ even amid suffering. [Read it here.]
After Mass, light refreshments were served outside the cathedral. Greetings were offered by Bishop Philippe Jourdan of Tallinn and Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier, Profittlich’s home diocese. From Finland, many Catholics attended, including Bishop Raimo and Father Andrii Khomen, priest for Ukrainian Catholics in Finland, with his family.
The Power of Prayer
The Catholic Church in Estonia is even smaller than ours in Finland. With limited resources but great trust in God’s providence, remarkable things have happened there in recent years: Pope Francis’ visit in 2018, the establishment of the Diocese of Tallinn in 2024 with Monsignor Jourdan as its first bishop, and finally, after years of effort, the completion of the beatification process of Profittlich.
We can only congratulate the Catholics of Estonia, their bishop Philippe, and Marge-Marie Paas, the diocesan expert who served as postulator. Many Catholics in Finland have prayed for the Church in Estonia. The ties between our countries were strong even before Estonia’s independence. It seems those prayers have been heard – and the intercession of Blessed Eduard has indeed borne fruit. May it continue so.
Blessed Eduard, pray for us!
Marko Tervaportti