Synod Study Group Proposes Broader Role for Catholics in Bishops’ Ad Limina Visits

In brief

A synod study group has proposed changing how diocesan bishops conduct their periodic visits to Rome to make them less about administrative reporting and more about mutual listening.

Study Group 7, which is examining the person and ministry of bishops, suggests that these ad limina visits should adopt a missionary synodal perspective. The group argues that the process should move away from being viewed primarily through a canonical or administrative lens. Instead, the proposal seeks to transform the visits into opportunities for open exchange between local bishops, the Pope, and the Roman Curia.

The study group is reviewing several aspects of the episcopate, including how bishops are selected, their judicial functions, and the nature of these pilgrimages to the tombs of Peter and Paul. This work follows the 2021–2024 synodal process and is rooted in the apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium.