Archbishop Profittlich was arrested and sentenced to death by Soviet Union authorities during World War II and died in a concentration camp in Siberia.
Christopher Francis: The Vatican
An Estonian priest is teaching us how to use faith in God to keep our spirits up as Russia’s brutal attacks in central Europe add to the depression, an event in Estonia said.
On the occasion of the 31st anniversary of Estonia’s independence from the former Soviet Union, when the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened an exhibition on the life of the martyr Archbishop Eduard Profittlich, the country’s ambassador to the Holy See, Celia Kuningas-Saagpakk, who participated in it, highlighted the strong Christian faith of the martyr.
Celia said that Archbishop Profittlich of the Church of Jesus, who was martyred by Soviet Russia in 1942, continues to give us a message of peace and hope amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
In an interview with Vatican News on the occasion of the opening of an exhibition on the life of the priest Archbishop Profittlich, Celia said that when Estonia was occupied by Soviet forces, Archbishop Profittlich continued to preach peace without fearing threats to his life.
Celia said that in this period of war in Ukraine, the peace message of the archbishop is much needed by all of us.
Archbishop Eduard Profittlich
German-born Jesuit Archbishop Eduard Profittlich was the first Catholic leader to stay and minister in Estonia in the 1600s. He served as the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia for more than ten years. He was arrested by the Soviet Union authorities during World War II, sentenced to death and sent to a concentration camp in Siberia. He died in Ammugam on February 22, 1942, before his cremation. Revivals are underway to elevate him to the status of saint.
On 20 August 1991, Estonia gained independence from the former Soviet Union.