Pope Leo XIV expresses joy at the ordination of 2 priests in Estonia, the country with the fewest believers in the world

Pope Leo XIV expressed his joy at the recent ordination of two new priests in Estonia—one of the countries with the lowest proportion of believers in the world, where nearly 70% of citizens declare themselves “non-religious”—and encouraged them to be a sign of hope for the small local Catholic community.

“In a special way, I greet the two recently ordained priests. Their generosity in saying ‘yes’ to the call of the Lord to serve Him and the Church as ordained ministers of the Gospel is, without a doubt, a sign of hope for the Christian community of their land. May their response to the vocation encourage many others to do the same!” exclaimed the Pontiff during an audience at the Vatican with a group of faithful on a jubilee pilgrimage for the Holy Year.

The two new priests ordained in Estonia in 2025 are called Giosuè Schirru and Manuel Leal Almeida. They were ordained on October 11 in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Tallinn by Bishop Philippe Jourdan, first ordinary of the Diocese of Tallinn, which was erected in 2024 by Pope Francis after a century as an Apostolic Administration.

During the meeting, Leo XIV highlighted that the elevation of the local Church to a diocese constitutes “another sign of hope” for the ecclesial life of Estonia, a country where Catholics represent less than 0.5% of the population. “Your presence gives me the opportunity to congratulate you personally, and I encourage you to pray for each other, especially your bishop, so that your unity as a community of faith is always nourished by the Lord and attracts new believers,” he said.

The Pontiff stressed that the jubilee pilgrimage – within the framework of the Holy Year dedicated to the theological virtue of hope – aims to “strengthen confidence in the promises of the Lord” and encourage the faithful to “proclaim the Gospel in simple ways every day.”

Hatred of the Church during persecution under the Soviet regime

Likewise, he welcomed the presence in the group of members of the Estonian Lutheran Church and other non-Catholic Christians on the pilgrimage, whom he thanked for their commitment to the recent beatification of Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, a martyr of the faith during the Soviet regime. “His ecumenical testimony,” the Pope said, “is a reflection of Blessed Eduard’s own testimony and constitutes the antithesis of the hatred that manifested itself so tragically during the persecution of the Church under the Soviet regime.”

Prayers for peace in Europe

Finally, Leo XIV asked for prayers for peace in Europe “in the face of the persistence of the logic of war” and entrusted all pilgrims to the intercession of the Virgin Mary. “When you return to your homes, know that you do so accompanied by my prayers. Tell your families and friends that the Pope prays for them,” he concluded.

Estonia, with a population of 1.3 million inhabitants, is considered the country with the least religious affiliation in the world: according to the 2021 census, only 29% of those over 15 years of age declare belonging to a religion, while 58% have no affiliation and 13% do not respond. Among local ethnic Estonians, the percentage of people without religion amounts to 71%, according to Statistics Estonia.