Heart and Mind of the Bishop

Ad Limina – Spiritual pilgrimage of Australian Bishops

The Catholic Bishops of Australia will make their mandatory visit to Rome in March on a spiritual pilgrimage designed to celebrate and strengthen their communion with the Universal Church and the Successor of Peter, Pope John Paul II.

The pilgrimage is known as the ad limina Apostolorum visit - or ‘to the threshold of the Apostles’, and it will take place from 14 to 28 March 2004.

All bishops who are charged with the leadership of a diocese are required to make an ad limina visit every five years and present a very thorough report on the pastoral situation of their diocese.

History and Meaning of the ‘ad limina Visit’

The article of Canon Law which prescribes the ad limina visit sets out two basic purposes:

1.  To venerate the tombs of the Holy Apostles, Peter and Paul;

2.  To meet with the Successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.

Archaeologists are morally certain that St Peter’s Basilica was built over the tomb of St Peter. We celebrate one of our special Masses in the crypt of this Basilica, over the tomb of St Peter.

Tradition tells us that St Paul was martyred outside the walls of Rome. This is where the Basilica of St Paul’s has been built and where again, in the crypt of it, we celebrate another Mass. 

Over these days in Rome we have the opportunity to be with Pope John Paul II for a Mass, a meal and a personal meeting as well as a formal group meeting. The thirty or more Australian bishops will visit the various Church Departments or Dicastories as they are called.

There are instructions on the ad limina visit and in them it is stated very clearly that “the best preparation is spiritual”.

As bishops we have already prepared and sent our reports to Rome. We have also prepared strategies for our meetings with the Dicastories.

I ask you now to join with me and the other bishops and dioceses of Australia in praying over this time up until the end of March, for a fruitful outcome of our visit, particularly for our Church in Australia.

As Bishops, we want to have a deeper sense of our place in the “one, holy catholic and apostolic Church” and of our role to develop that in Australia.

Through your baptism in Jesus Christ, you are part of this Church and called to be disciples in the modern world, as active members of the Catholic Church.

In particular, during this period of spiritual preparation for the pilgrimage ahead, we call upon the Apostles and Peter and Paul in our prayers.

We give them thanks for their example as teachers and custodians of the faith and pray that the fire that burned in their hearts might burn in ours too. 

JUSTIN JOSEPH BIANCHINI
BISHOP OF GERALDTON

February 2004