Pope Leo XIV received the bishops of Peru in audience this Friday within the framework of their Visit ad Limina Apostolorum, as reported by the official bulletin of the Holy See.
The central moment of the Visit ad Limina
The Visit ad Limina Apostolorum is a consolidated practice in the life of the Church, through which bishops periodically go to Rome to pray before the tombs of the apostles Saints Peter and Paul and to dialogue personally with the Pope about the spiritual, pastoral, and social situation of the particular Churches entrusted to them.
The audience with the Roman Pontiff is the most significant act of this visit, as it allows the pastors to share directly with the Successor of Peter the challenges they face, as well as to receive guidance and encouragement for their episcopal mission.
A gesture of closeness experienced the previous day
Today’s audience was preceded by a gesture of special closeness on the part of Pope Leo XIV. On the previous day, the Pontiff made an unexpected appearance during the lunch of the Peruvian bishops in Rome, sharing with them a moment of fraternal fellowship.
According to Vatican News, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference described this informal encounter as a gesture of communion and pastoral accompaniment, valued by the prelates as a concrete expression of the Pope’s closeness to the Church in Peru.
Prayer for Peru and ecclesial communion
During that fraternal encounter, the president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Carlos García Camader, expressed that the bishops have brought to Rome the intention to pray for peace and the future of Peru, as well as the desire to strengthen the faith and unity of the faithful people.