Every five years, Catholic bishops travel to Rome for ad limina visits, a requirement dating to 743 and formalized in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. The Latin phrase means “to the thresholds of the Apostles,” referring to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul where bishops pray at St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls. During these visits, bishops submit quinquennial reports detailing their dioceses and meet with Vatican officials to discuss pastoral challenges, strengthening communion between local churches and the Holy See through a practice that serves both devotional and administrative purposes.
Every five years, Catholic bishops from around the world pack their bags and travel to Rome, not for a conference or a ceremony, but to fulfill an ancient obligation known as the ad limina visit. The phrase means “to the thresholds of the Apostles,” referring to the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, and the practice has shaped how the Church maintains unity across continents for more than a millennium.
Every five years, Catholic bishops fulfill an ancient obligation by journeying to Rome for the ad limina visit.
The requirement dates back to 743, when a Roman synod decreed that bishops subject to Rome’s metropolitan see should visit annually. Pope Gregory VII later extended this to all Western Church metropolitans. By 1585, Pope Sixtus V formalized the norms in his constitution Romanus Pontifex. The current five-year cycle was established by Pope Pius X in 1909, with rules now codified in the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Canon 208 of the 1990 Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches governs the requirements for Eastern Catholic bishops. The visits also reflect the bishop’s role in fostering sacramental life and pastoral oversight within his diocese sacramental life.
Canon 400 mandates that diocesan bishops and certain prelates with territorial jurisdiction, such as territorial abbots, make the journey. Before their consecration, bishops promise to visit Rome annually or send a deputy unless dispensed from the obligation. Bishops from a single region or episcopal conference typically travel together, distinguishing the ad limina from other Vatican trips like synods.
The visit serves multiple purposes rooted in both devotion and governance. Bishops pray at the tombs in St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Paul Outside the Walls, and celebrate Masses at major Roman basilicas including St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major. They also present a quinquennial report detailing their diocese’s state over the past five years, covering pastoral, administrative, and regional concerns. Roman Curia dicasteries review these reports before preparing a synthesis for the Pope. The regional schedule follows a five-year rotation with bishops from Italy and nearby islands visiting in year one, followed by those from Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Holland, the UK and Ireland in year two.
Beyond paperwork, bishops meet individually or in groups with Curia officials and the Pope himself to discuss ecclesial mission and regional challenges. These conversations strengthen communion between particular Churches and the Holy See, echoing St. Paul’s visits to St. Peter described in Galatians. The practice, despite occasional delays, remains a visible expression of the worldwide bishops’ unity with the successor of Peter.
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