Reflections on the Ad Limina

On Jan. 17, I went to Rome for a very significant purpose; as a Diocesan Bishop I was to participate in what is called the Visita Ad Limina Apostolorum Petri et Pauli ( The visit to The threshold of the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul). This is a required visit to the Vatican that takes place every five to seven years. In preparation for this visit the bishop submits a written report to the various Diacasteries. Then the bishop is required to actually present himself personally to the Pope and several of the Diacasteries or Departments of the Roman Curia.
 
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is divided into regions. Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas constitute Region X. Hence, the Diocese of Amarillo is part of Region X. This visit is both spiritual and informational. We celebrated Mass at the Tomb of St. Peter in the Vatican, at the tomb of St. Paul Outside the Walls, at the Pope’s Cathedral Church of St. John in the Lateran and at St. Mary Major, which is the first Church dedicated to Mary in Rome. Each is a unique experience evoking much joy and the strengthening of the Faith.
 
On Jan. 20, Cardinal DiNardo presided at the Mass near the tomb of St. Peter. Afterward we made the Profession of Faith and prayed for the intentions of the present successor of Peter, Pope Francis. Following that we went to our meeting with the Holy Father. We entered by Province and were allowed to bring an accompanying priest or seminarian. As I encountered the Pope, I introduced myself and thanked him for his strong Faith, clear teachings and profound manifestation of our Catholic Faith. Then I introduced Father Francisco Perez, JCL, my Vicar General, to the Pope.
 
Then we gathered in a horse-shoe fashion with the Holy Father at the center. This was one of the most incredible gatherings that I have ever experienced at an Ad Limina Visit. The Pope welcomed us. He said that we gathered as brother bishops and that he had “no agenda!” He wanted us to share our challenges and concerns with him and have a collegial dialogue. Many diverse topics surfaced. He commented that he shared mainly of the same concerns that we shared. This continued for two and one-half hours. It was the fastest two and one-half hours that I have ever spent in a dialogue! The presence of the Holy Spirit was clearly experienced. He blessed us, thanked us for our service as bishops and wished us the Grace to continue this most significant ministry in the Church.
 
We visited the Secretary of State, Cardinal Parolin and his secretary. Many topics were discussed; however, the status of the Catholic Church in China was a central theme. He asked us to pray for our fellow Catholics in China; progress has been made, but more is needed. We visited the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith where we discussed varying topics that deal with the Faith itself, challenges facing the Church in the USA and the need for veracity in the traditional and social media.
 
In the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments the discussion centered on the need to emphasize the Liturgy of the Word, and especially the need to recognize the Truth of the Bible and especially the Gospel of Christ. The Congregation for Religious expressed gratitude for the many, many Religious who have assisted the Church in its Mission with two emphases: Returning to the Charism of the founder and that more attention be paid to the needs of the Church of today. The greatest needs were considered to be evangelization and catechesis.
 
The visits to the various Congregation were each very informative and followed the format set by the Holy Father. Each Prefect inquired of us the specific challenges or clarifications that we needed in our particular dioceses. They were all collegial experiences guided by prayer, the Grace of the Holy Spirit and fulfilling the needs of our ministry. 
 
This was my fourth Ad Limina Visit. The first was only four months after my Episcopal Ordination. It was extra special because of the closeness I experienced with Pope John Paul II, all because of using a common Slavic Language in our visit. The second was also with John Paul II; however, due to his illness we had a very limited encounter with him. Yet, it was inspiring and motivating…even courageous! My third one was with Pope Benedict XVI. Its format was quite different because of his age; however, it too was quite inspiring and encouraging to our ministry.
 
This fourth one with Pope Francis was quite unique in that we experienced and actually felt the intimacy of a very Holy Man dialoguing with much love, compassion and gratitude with his brother bishops from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He said that he identified with us in that our challenges as his challenges also! He was very honest in regard to our challenges today, but also very inspiring and hope-filled in His reliance on the Omni-continual presence and action of the Holy Spirit in the Church and in each individual bishop.
 
Bishop Patrick J. Zurek is the eighth Bishop of Amarillo and publisher of The West Texas Catholic.