Rev. Fr. Michael BANJO

The first group of members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, shortly after concluding their 2026 First Plenary Assembly, departed for Rome for their Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit and arrived safely in the Vatican City.

 

The Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit is the periodic visit that Diocesan Bishops make to Rome, usually every five years. The Latin expression means “to the thresholds of the Apostles,” referring to prayer at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul in St Peter's Basilica and Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, as well as in the other Major Papal Basilicas, Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran and Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

 

During the visit, the Bishops prayed, renewed their apostolic commitment, met with the Roman Curia, and had an audience with the Holy Father while presenting a report on the pastoral life of their Dioceses/Archdioceses. It is a profound expression of communion with the successor of Peter and with the universal Church.

 

Ahead of the formal commencement of the Ad Limina from 1 to 16 March 2026, the Bishops gathered for Holy Mass in the Chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, within Vatican City. The Mass was presided over by Peter Ebere Cardinal Okpaleke, who celebrated his birthday, March 1.. May the Lord grant him many more fruitful years. Amen.

 

The first group of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), from the Provinces of Benin, Ibadan, Lagos, Onitsha and Owerri, continueed with their Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit in Rome.

 

The visit officially commenced on Monday, 2 March, with the celebration of Holy Mass at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major, presided over by Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the immediate past President of the CBCN. After the Mass, the Bishops visited and prayed at the tomb of the late Pope Francis, who was buried within the Basilica. The Bishops then held a series of meetings with several dicasteries of the Holy See, including the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.

On Tuesday, 3 March, the Bishops began the day with Holy Mass and Lauds, presided over by Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin. They continued their meetings with the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Secretariat of State. These engagements provided an opportunity for fruitful discussions on matters concerning the life and mission of the Church, as well as its role in promoting peace, justice, and the common good in Nigeria. In the evening, the Bishops were hosted at dinner by His Excellency, Most Rev. Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelisation.

 

The Bishops continued to carry the Church in Nigeria in prayer during this important pilgrimage of faith and communion with the Holy See with a call on the faithful to keep them in their prayers for the fruitfulness of the visit.

Thirty-two Bishops in the first group of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), on the Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit, were received in audience by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, on March 6.

 

During the meeting, the Bishops presented reports on the pastoral life of their dioceses and shared updates on the evangelizing mission of the Church in Nigeria, reflecting on both the challenges and the signs of hope within their local Churches.

 

In communion with the successor of Saint Peter, the Bishops also presented heartfelt gifts to His Holiness as a sign of fraternal unity and gratitude. The first group concluded their Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit on 7 March. This was followed by the arrival of members of the second group in Rome on Sunday, 8 March, to commence their own segment of the visit. The second group comprised of Bishops from the ecclesiastical provinces of Abuja, Calabar, Jos, and Kaduna.

 

Like the first group, the Bishops of the second group would participate in liturgical celebrations and meetings with the dicasteries of the Roman Curia. They would also have an audience with the Holy Father.

 

On Monday, 9 March, the Bishops celebrated Holy Mass, presided over by Most Rev. Joseph Ekuwem, Archbishop of Calabar, at the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the Cathedral of the Pope as Bishop of Rome. This sacred celebration marked the official commencement of the Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit of the second group of the Bishops of Nigeria to Rome. At the conclusion of the Mass, the Bishops gathered around the Cathedra (Seat of the Bishop of Rome), a symbolic gesture expressing their communion with the Holy Father and their unity with the See of Peter.

 

In the days following, the Bishops would meet with various dicasteries and ecclesial institutions of the Holy See, visit the major basilicas and other sacred sites, and engage in moments of prayer and reflection. The visit will culminate in a personal audience with the Holy Father, strengthening the bonds of communion between the local Churches in Nigeria and the universal Church.