I have sometimes heard of bishops making an “ad limina” visit to Rome. Can you tell me what this is?
The word “ad limina”, or more properly “ad limina apostolorum”, means “to the thresholds of the apostles.” The bishops of the world are required to make a visit to Rome every five years to visit the pope and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.
The Code of Canon Law stipulates: “Every five years the diocesan bishop is bound to submit to the Supreme Pontiff a report on the state of the diocese entrusted to him” (Can. 399 §1), and “in the year in which he is bound to submit the report to the Supreme Pontiff,” he “is to go to Rome to venerate the tombs of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and to present himself to the Roman Pontiff” (Can. 400 §1).
In practice, due to the large number of bishops in the world, more than 5000, these visits at present occur less often, even every seven or eight years.
In their trip to Rome, the bishops also visit the various dicasteries, or offices, of the Holy See, where they discuss matters relevant to their dioceses. Officials of the Holy See organise for the bishops all the practical details of their visits around Rome and the Vatican, and they have someone to accompany them, to make their visit easier and more pleasant.
The bishops make these visits in groups, depending on the number of bishops in the country. The Australian bishops go all together, whereas in larger countries they go in various groups.
As regards the origin of these visits, some accounts trace them back as far as the fourth century. In the first centuries, bishops, especially from the West, would travel to Rome from time to time to consult with the pope on doctrinal and disciplinary matters, to seek a judgment in difficult matters, and to pray at the tombs of the apostles.
The first Councils dealt with the relations between the dioceses and the Church of Rome, and in 347 the Synod of Sardica addressed a letter to Pope Julius (341-352), explaining that it was fitting for him to be informed of the religious situation in the different parts or provinces of the Roman Empire.
In 597, Pope St Gregory the Great (590-604) reminded his ambassador Cyprian of the ancient practice, initiated by the Bishops of Sicily, of visiting the Eternal City every three years, and so he determined that the “ad limina” visit should take place every five years.
The Council of Rome in 743 issued further provisions for the visit itself. One can only imagine the difficulty bishops from countries far from Rome, such as Egypt, Iraq or India, would have had to travel to Rome in those early centuries.
After the Council of Trent (1545-63), Pope Sixtus V in 1585 formally codified the obligation of diocesan bishops to visit Rome at regular intervals. He also determined that the bishops were to submit a written report on clergy discipline, liturgy and the sacraments, seminaries and the moral and spiritual life of their diocese. The frequency of the visits varied, usually between three and ten years, depending on the distance to be travelled.
In 1988 the Congregation for Bishops issued a comprehensive “Directory for the ‘ad limina’ visit”, setting out the reasons for it and giving detailed indications on how to prepare for the visit and how it was to be conducted.
Whereas, under Pope St John Paul II, the bishops were able to have individual meetings with the Holy Father, Pope Francis chose to have a long meeting with all the bishops together. It seems that Pope Leo is continuing this practice, which has been found to be very beneficial.
In general today, the visits go beyond the merely bureaucratic aspect of giving an account of the diocese to involve a more cordial discussion with the dicasteries and the Holy Father about the real needs of the local church. The meetings thus manifest and strengthen the union of the bishops with the pope, and they confirm the concern of all for the church.
