Philippe Jean-Charles Jourdan
Encyclopedia
Philippe Jean-Charles Jourdan (born 30 August 1960 in Dax, France
) is a Roman Catholic dignitary, Apostolic Administrator
of Estonia
and Titular Bishop
of Pertusa
.
Msgr. Philippe Jourdan is of Basque
origin. He earned the diploma in mathematics and engineering at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris and became a member of Opus Dei
as a student. After being called to priesthood, he pursued theological studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
and was ordained as a priest in the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross
by Cardinal Bernard Francis Law on 20 August 1988.
He was appointed a Vicar General
of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia
in 1996 to replace aging Father Guy Barbier. The Apostolic Administration was at that time governed by the Apostolic Nuncio
from Lithuania
and the Vicar General was the highest Church official residing permanently in Estonia. From 1999 to 2001 Father Jourdan served also as a parochial vicar of the Cathedral of Sts. Paul and Peter in Tallinn
.
On 23 March 2005 he was appointed a Titular Bishop
of Pertusa and Apostolic Administrator of Estonia by Pope
John Paul II, becoming the second Catholic bishop in Estonia after the Protestant Reformation
in the 16th century. Msgr. Jourdan's predecessor Eduard Profittlich, S.J.
died in 1942 as a martyr in Soviet prison.
He was consecrated to the episcopate and installed as ordinary of Estonia on 10 September 2005 in Tallinn by Archbishop
Peter Stephan Zurbriggen, Apostolic Nuncio to the Baltic states
. Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz
of Moscow and Bishop Javier Echevarría
, prelate of Opus Dei, were the two co-consecrating bishops at the episcopal ordination and installation.
Msgr. Philippe Jourdan speaks in addition to French fluent Estonian, Russian, English, Italian, Spanish and German. He is completing a doctorate
in analytical philosophy.
Poska Street 47a, 10150 Tallinn, Estonia
Phone: (+372) 601 3079 / Fax: (+372) 601 3190
E-mail: admapost@online.ee
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) is a Roman Catholic dignitary, Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Pertusa
Pertusa
Pertusa is a municipality located in the province of Huesca, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 135 inhabitants.Pertusa was a Ilergetes settlement under the same name which was given during Roman occupation....
.
Msgr. Philippe Jourdan is of Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
origin. He earned the diploma in mathematics and engineering at the Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris and became a member of Opus Dei
Opus Dei
Opus Dei, formally known as The Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei , is an organization of the Catholic Church that teaches that everyone is called to holiness and that ordinary life is a path to sanctity. The majority of its membership are lay people, with secular priests under the...
as a student. After being called to priesthood, he pursued theological studies at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic university under the Curial Congregation for Catholic Education, which it has entrusted to the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, or more commonly called Opus Dei...
and was ordained as a priest in the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross
Opus Dei: Priestly Society of the Holy Cross
The Priestly Society of the Holy Cross is an association of clergy within the Roman Catholic Church "intrinsically united" to Opus Dei.According to the Annuario Pontificio, there were 1996 priests of the Prelature in the year 2009...
by Cardinal Bernard Francis Law on 20 August 1988.
He was appointed a Vicar General
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the Apostolic Administration of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
in 1996 to replace aging Father Guy Barbier. The Apostolic Administration was at that time governed by the Apostolic Nuncio
Nuncio
Nuncio is an ecclesiastical diplomatic title, derived from the ancient Latin word, Nuntius, meaning "envoy." This article addresses this title as well as derived similar titles, all within the structure of the Roman Catholic Church...
from Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and the Vicar General was the highest Church official residing permanently in Estonia. From 1999 to 2001 Father Jourdan served also as a parochial vicar of the Cathedral of Sts. Paul and Peter in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
.
On 23 March 2005 he was appointed a Titular Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Pertusa and Apostolic Administrator of Estonia by Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
John Paul II, becoming the second Catholic bishop in Estonia after the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
in the 16th century. Msgr. Jourdan's predecessor Eduard Profittlich, S.J.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
died in 1942 as a martyr in Soviet prison.
He was consecrated to the episcopate and installed as ordinary of Estonia on 10 September 2005 in Tallinn by Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Peter Stephan Zurbriggen, Apostolic Nuncio to the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
. Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz
Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz
Archbishop Monsignor Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz is the Belarusian Roman Catholic Archbishop of Minsk and Mahilyow, Belarus and Apostolic Administrator of Pinsk....
of Moscow and Bishop Javier Echevarría
Javier Echevarria Rodriguez
Most Reverend Bishop Javier Echevarría Rodríguez is a Spanish bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the current head of the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei...
, prelate of Opus Dei, were the two co-consecrating bishops at the episcopal ordination and installation.
Msgr. Philippe Jourdan speaks in addition to French fluent Estonian, Russian, English, Italian, Spanish and German. He is completing a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in analytical philosophy.
Contact information
Apostolic Administration of EstoniaPoska Street 47a, 10150 Tallinn, Estonia
Phone: (+372) 601 3079 / Fax: (+372) 601 3190
E-mail: admapost@online.ee