What Is Ad Limina

�n January, Bishop Quinn—along with the other bishops of our region, i.e. the ecclesiastical province of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis—visited Rome for an ad limina visit. But what is an ad limina visit all about?

A Definition In the 1983 Code of Canon Law, canon 399 §1 tells us that: Every five years a diocesan bishop is bound to make a report to the Supreme Pontiff on the state of the diocese entrusted to him, according to the form and time determined by the Apostolic See. This report is called a quinquennial report, a word that literally means “every five years” (although, practically speaking, these days quinquennial reports are generally required only once every seven years). The quinquennial report includes statistics, or the number of things like parishes, schools, priests, religious, and Catholic faithful in the diocese; it also includes the bishop’s observations or concerns for his diocese. Canon 400 then goes on to state that: …during the year in which he is bound to submit a report to the Supreme Pontiff, a diocesan bishop is to go to Rome to venerate the tombs of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and to present himself to the Roman Pontiff. In a nutshell, this sums up the two-fold purpose of the ad limina visit. This same canon specifies that: “A bishop is to satisfy the above-mentioned obligation personally unless he is legitimately impeded”—i.e., that unless the bishop has a serious reason not to go, he must actually travel to Rome himself. This detail in the law is interesting, because it shows us that the ad limina visit is not just another routine administrative task involved in running a diocese, but it is instead part of the vocation of being a bishop.

“To the Thresholds…” Ad limina is short for the Latin phrase “ad limina Apostolorum,” which translates into English as “to the threshold (or maybe “doorsteps”) of the Apostles.” This highlights especially the spiritual significance of the ad limina visit—that is, namely, a chance for today’s bishops, the successors of the Apostles, to visit the place where the great Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul were martyred and to pray at the places where these saints are buried.

As one document, the 1988 Directory for the “Ad Limina” Visit puts it: The veneration of the ‘trophies’ [i.e., the tombs or monuments] of the Apostles Peter and Paul and pilgrimages to their tombs have been practiced from earliest Christian times. These practices have retained their deep spiritual meaning and their significance for ecclesial communion. It is precisely for this reason that these practices were institutionalized for the bishops.

Meeting the Pope The other part of the ad limina visit, the in-person meeting with the Pope, might seem to be more utilitarian. Of course, it is useful for bishops to be able to discuss their concerns with the Holy Father. And it’s helpful for the Holy Father as well to hear directly about the state of various local diocesan churches, especially those local churches in parts of the world which are geographically quite a ways away from Rome.

However, even this meeting has a deeply spiritual aspect. As the 1988 Directory says:

The meeting with the Successor of Peter, the primary guardian of the deposit of truth handed down from the Apostles, serves to consolidate their unity in the same faith, hope and charity.

And so this meeting is not simply a mutual fact-sharing session, but is also a sign of unity and communion for the entire Church. Our local bishop’s meeting personally with the Holy Father shows us that even here in our quiet corner of Minnesota, we’re still very much a part of the larger spiritual family which is the universal Catholic Church. So, What Actually Happens? The specific details of an ad limina visit itinerary are naturally going to vary a bit from bishop to bishop and region to region. But in general, the obligation to venerate the tombs of the Apostles St. Peter and Paul is fulfilled by visiting the churches where these saints are understood to have been buried.

To venerate St. Peter, bishops on their ad limina visit typically celebrate a Mass in a crypt chapel—that is, a chapel a level under the main floor—of the famous St. Peter’s Basilica. St. Peter’s Basilica is significant not only because we know with a high degree of certainty based on archeological evidence that St. Peter is indeed buried almost directly under the high altar of this church, but also because it is only steps away from the spot where St. Peter was martyred on the Vatican hill. To venerate St. Paul, the bishops pray at a basilica called St. Paul Outside the Walls. This basilica is so-named because it is located outside of the original ancient city walls (and is still a bit of a trip outside of the central city even today.) It is believed to be the location of St. Paul’s tomb, and is home to some other meaningful relics, such as the actual chains which bound St. Paul as a prisoner.

The specific way the bishops’ in-person meeting with the Pope will be conducted depends on the preferences of the current Holy Father. In the past, Popes would speak one-on-one with individual bishops in a very brief private meeting. Now, it seems that Pope Francis prefers a group meeting with all the bishops from a particular province who are traveling together, so that there is time for a more in-depth and substantial discussion.

The bishops also have a chance to visit and talk with officials from various Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, or “Vatican departments.”

All in all, as the 1988 Directory puts it: ...the ‘ad limina’ visit is an action that each bishop performs for the good of his own diocese and for the whole Church, in order to foster unity, charity and solidarity in the faith and in the apostolate. 12 Ask a Canon Lawyer What Is Ad Limina? Jenna Cooper Tribunal Coordinator & Judge jcooper@dowr.org Do you have a question about canon law that you would like to see answered here? Email jcooper@dowr.org with "Courier question" in the subject line.