The Catholic Church in Estonia has received the news today that Pope Francis has approved the beatification of Jesuit Archbishop Eduard Profittlich (1890-1942). “This is a historic event for Estonia and the Estonian people”, reads a statement released in Tallinn, which recalls that the future Blessed “remained faithful to himself and to God, sharing the common destiny of so many Estonians”. Profittlich was born in Birresdorf, Germany. After studying philosophy and theology in Germany and Poland, he was sent to Estonia in 1930, where he became apostolic administrator (1931) and was appointed archbishop by Pope Pius XII in 1936. Arrested by the Soviets in June 1941, he was interned in Kirov prison and sentenced to death, but died on 22 February 1942, before the sentence could be carried out. The Estonian Church is grateful to him not only for his fidelity, but also because “he learned the Estonian language and was an advocate of the Estonian culture and people”, and because, thanks to his dedication, “the pastoral work of the Catholic Church in Estonia reached a new level”. This day has been long awaited, the statement released in Tallinn goes on to say: prepared for over 21 years, “this beatification is the first in the history of the Estonian Catholic Church and one of the first in the Nordic countries since the 16th century”. The Diocese of Tallinn will begin preparations for the beatification Mass, a “great event” that, hopefully, will take place in the spring of next year, Jubilee time for the entire Catholic Church.