From the very beginning of the early Christian community, there has been a tradition of making pilgrimages to the tombs of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul and venerating their sacred resting places. The Latin expression ad limina apostolorum is translated into English as “to the thresholds of the apostles.” Thus, an ad limina Visit means a visit to the tombs of the Apostles. The principal purpose of this visit is to venerate the tombs of the apostolic pillars Peter and Paul.

All bishops of the Latin Church fulfil this long-standing practice by making a pilgrimage to Rome once every five years in order to venerate the relics of the Apostles Peter and Paul, to visit the Pope, the successor of Peter, and to submit the five-yearly report on their respective dioceses. According to the Latin Code of Canon Law, every diocesan bishop is strictly obliged to visit Rome once every five years, to visit the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul, to have an audience with the Pope, and to submit a quinquennial report on the activity of the diocese (CIC cc. 399–400).

The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches therefore states: “An eparchial bishop exercising authority within the territorial boundaries of the patriarchal church, within five years of his enthronement, is to make a visit to Rome along with the patriarch, insofar as this can be done, so that he may venerate the tombs of blessed apostles Peter and Paul and appear before the successor of Saint Peter in primacy over the entire Church.” (CCEO c. 208 §1). According to this, bishops who exercise authority within the territory of Patriarchal and Major Archiepiscopal Churches must make this visit within five years of their enthronement, preferably together with the Patriarch or Major Archbishop. However, the law does not require them to repeat this visit every five years. At the same time, bishops of eparchies situated outside the territorial boundaries of Patriarchal or Major Archiepiscopal Churches are obliged to make the ad limina Visit once every five years (CCEO c. 208 §2).

All arrangements regarding the Ad Limina Visit of the Eastern Churches are coordinated by the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches in the Vatican. Pope Francis’ Apostolic Constitution Praedicate Evangelium, promulgated on 19 March 2022, sets forth the current norms in this regard (PE articles 38–42, 84 §1). Coadjutor bishops and auxiliary bishops are not bound by this obligation; the duty rests on the eparchial bishops themselves. Through the Ad Limina Visit, communion among the bishops and communion with the Pope-the father and head of the entire Church-is strengthened through personal encounter and dialogue. The three elements of the ad limina visit are explained in Praedicate Evangelium article 38: the visit and veneration of the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul; the audience with the Pope, successor of Peter; and the visit to the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia.

In short, for the Eastern Churches, the ad limina Visit is not merely an administrative requirement of ecclesiastical governance. Rather, it is an occasion to profess and manifest communion and obedience with the universal Church and with the Pope, the father and head of the Church. When the successor of Peter receives the heads and bishops of the Churches founded by the other Apostles, the event becomes a beautiful expression of the communion and fellowship that marked the gathering of the Apostles in the early Church. Moreover, for the bishops of the Eastern Churches who visit the tombs of Peter and Paul in Rome, it becomes a profound moment of spiritual renewal, drawing inspiration and strength from the great Apostles who shed their blood for Christ, so that they may continue courageously to carry the light of faith to the ends of the earth.

Rev. Dr. Joseph Mattathil