Vatican City, Mar 23, 2004 / 22:00 pm
The first group of U.S. bishops will arrive here on March 28 for their “Ad Limina Apostolorum” visit, the once-every-five-years trip bishops must make to the Vatican.
The "Ad Limina Apostolorum" (Latin for "to the tombs of the Apostles") visit brings together bishops with the Holy Father and with the Vatican dicasteries, and helps to evaluate the state of both a nation's episcopate as well as each particular diocese.
Given the size of the American episcopacy (over 3,000 bishops), the visit of the US bishops will take place in smaller, regional groups over the next 10 months, starting by the South east region.
In preparation for the Ad Limina visit, each bishop must prepare a rather exhaustive report of the pastoral state of his diocese, and each specific part of the report is sent by the Congregation of Bishops to the appropriate dicastery: family issues will go to the Pontifical Council for the Family, doctrinal issues will go to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and so on.