The quinquennial "ad limina" visits, where bishops from around the world meet the Pope in Rome, have resumed after being paused during the 2025 Jubilee Year. The term "ad limina Sancti Petri" translates to a visit "to the threshold of St. Peter" and signifies the bond between local Churches and the Pope. Bishops must submit a detailed report on their diocese's situation, including finances, to the Dicastery for Bishops six months before their scheduled visit. Pope Leo XIV began receiving these delegations, starting with bishops from Slovenia on January 16, 2026, followed by those from Puerto Rico on January 23. The purpose of these visits is for the pontiff to receive authentic information regarding the concrete situations, challenges, and initiatives of the various global Churches.
about 1 month ago
Pope Leo XIV has resumed "ad limina" visits with bishops after a one-year pause during the 2025 Jubilee Year.1
The first group, 10 bishops from Slovenia, met the Pope on January 16, 2026, followed by eight bishops from Puerto Rico on January 23.1
"Ad limina Sancti Petri" translates to "to the threshold of St. Peter," referring to bishops' quinquennial pilgrimages to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome.1
Regulated by a 1988 directory, these visits provide the Pope with direct insights into local Churches' situations, problems, and initiatives.1
Bishops submit detailed reports on their dioceses, including finances, to the Dicastery for Bishops six months ahead.1
Pope Leo XIV, former prefect of this dicastery, receives summaries to inform meetings.1
Groups from the same region travel together but hold personal discussions with Curia dicasteries on topics like vocations and lay pastoral care.1
Visits last about a week, involving around 20 meetings and emphasizing open dialogue per Praedicate Evangelium.1
Unlike Benedict XVI's speeches per conference or Francis' initial dialogues, Leo XIV's approach remains undefined with no public speeches released yet.1
Peruvian bishops, from his "second homeland," likely had a uniquely personal encounter.1
Bishops wear cassocks with sashes for papal audiences and celebrate liturgies at the apostles' basilicas.1
Visits contribute data to the Vatican Commission for the Protection of Minors' annual abuse report.1
A Synod on Synodality working group is reviewing ad limina visits from a "synodal missionary perspective."1
This could alter the format to enhance Church participation.1
How do “ad limina” visits embody the Pope’s universal shepherding?
Ad limina visits, mandated for bishops every five years, fundamentally embody the Pope's universal shepherding by renewing the apostolic bonds that unite the particular Churches with the See of Peter. These visits—literally "to the thresholds" of the Apostles—begin with a pilgrimage to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in Rome, symbolizing veneration for the "Princes of the Apostles, shepherds and pillars of the Church of Rome." This sacred act underscores the Pope's role as successor to Peter, the rock on which Christ built His Church (cf. Matt 16:18), evoking Christ's prayer that Peter's faith would not fail and that he would strengthen his brethren (Luke 22:32). In this way, the visit reinforces the Petrine ministry's enduring solicitude for the universal Church, ensuring that every bishop, as head of his local flock, encounters the visible source of unity and doctrinal stability.
At the heart of the ad limina visit lies a profound personal dimension: the face-to-face meeting between each bishop and the Roman Pontiff. This direct communion allows bishops to report on the state of their dioceses through quinquennial reports, sharing joys, challenges, and aspirations of their particular Churches. Pope John Paul II emphasized this during addresses to American bishops, describing such gatherings as moments of "ecclesial communion" that link local realities to the global mission of the Church. Here, the Pope exercises his universal shepherding not as a distant authority but as the chief pastor who listens, offers guidance, and confirms his brothers in faith—mirroring Peter's role in strengthening the apostolic college. This personal exchange prevents isolation of local Churches, integrating them into the Pope's pastoral oversight for the "greater good and progress of the Churches."
The visits extend beyond the Pope to include conversations with the dicasteries, councils, and offices of the Roman Curia, which form a "community closely joined with the Roman Pontiff in that area of the Petrine ministry which involves solicitude for all the Churches" (cf. 2 Cor 11:28). This curial dimension facilitates a two-fold access: addressing specific competencies of each agency and tackling issues of "common pastoral solicitude for the universal Church." The Congregation for Bishops, for instance, coordinates these visits, studies reports, arranges meetings, and communicates conclusions back to dioceses, ensuring the Pope's shepherding permeates practical governance. Such structured dialogue embodies the Pope's role as guarantor of unity, where he "presides over the universal communion of charity," safeguarding legitimate differences while fostering what builds up the whole Body of Christ.
Ad limina visits powerfully express the collegiality of the episcopal college, rooted in the successor of Peter. Bishops come not as individuals but often in regional groups, reflecting conferences of bishops as "collegial unions" that enhance preparation and mutual support. This collegial principle highlights the Church's catholicity—the wholeness derived from communion between particular and universal dimensions—signified by the martyrs' tombs and the Pope's presidency. The Synod of Bishops affirms the Pope as the "foundation of the Church’s unity," convoking and confirming synodal processes alongside the college of bishops to shepherd the whole flock. By mandating these visits, the Pope ensures that every local Church remains interiorly linked to his primatial service, preventing fragmentation and promoting a shared witness to the faith.
These multifaceted encounters yield concrete pastoral fruits: shared information, timely advice, and alignment with the Church's common discipline. They counter tendencies toward autonomy by reminding bishops that their ministry participates in the Pope's universal care, much as Peter’s faith sustains the entire Church against error. In an era of diverse challenges, ad limina visits thus actualize the Pope's shepherding as a dynamic service of unity, doctrine, and mission, inviting bishops to "see Peter" anew and return strengthened to their flocks.
In summary, ad limina visits embody the Pope’s universal shepherding through their sacred pilgrimage, personal communion, curial collaboration, and collegial renewal—anchoring every particular Church in the Petrine foundation for the good of the universal flock.