Visiting the threshold of the apostles

The Catholic Diocese of Tucson is a local church in communion with the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. A visible sign of that unity takes place when a bishop makes an “ad limina” visit to the Holy See to report on the status of his diocese.
I will be in Rome during the first week of May participating in the Region XIII’s pilgrimage to the tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul, to the “threshold of the apostles,” to our meeting with the Congregations of the Holy See, and an opportunity to meet with the Holy Father. Although these visits are to happen every five years, my last visit was in 2004 when I was Co-Adjutor Bishop of Tucson accompanying Bishop Manuel Moreno who still was our Diocesan Bishop.
Region XIII consists of the Archdiocese of Denver and its suffragan sees of Pueblo and Colorado Springs; the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and its suffragans of Las Cruces, Phoenix, Gallup; Tucson and the Diocese of Cheyenne.
In preparation for our visit, the Diocesan Pastoral Center developed a Quinquennial Report that describes what has happened in the Diocese since the last ad limina visit. This comprehensive report of nearly 300 pages was sent to Rome six months ago, and addresses the sacramental life of the Diocese, how the diocese is organized, the status of vocations, description of the priests, religious, and deacons, the financial picture of the Diocese, and description of key events that have taken place within the Diocese.
In our report this time, I describe the vibrancy of the Diocese following the Chapter 11 proceedings, the reorganization of our parishes, the opening of new parishes and schools, the restoration of our Cathedral, and the collaboration of our priests, deacons, religious and laity. I am most pleased by what I see happening in the Diocese.
The early protocols for these ad limina visits were first set in 1585 under Pope Sixtus V with the issuance of the Constitution “Romanus Pontifex.” The present guideline for the visits was established with the Decree of the Consistorial Congregation issued by Pope Pius X in 1909. In that Decree it is stated that every bishop must render to the Pope an account of the state of his diocese every five years.
While in Rome, Msgr. Al Schifano, our Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, who is accompanying me, and I will be staying at the North American College in Rome, which is the major seminary in Rome for seminarians studying in Rome from the United States. It is on the Janiculum Hill overlooking St. Peter’s Basilica.
Our Region will have the opportunity to celebrate Mass in the four major Basilicas in Rome: St. Mary Major, St. Peter’s at the altar of the Tomb, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. John Lateran, as well as at St. Peter’s at the tomb of Blessed John Paul II. These are always very moving experiences in which I will be praying for all in our Diocese asking the Lord to deepen our faith and to intensify our efforts to bring others to Christ.
Our Region also will meet with the Prefects of various Vatican Congregations including Clergy, Divine Worship, Institutes of Consecrated Life, Bishops, Doctrine of the Faith, Catholic Education, the Apostolic Signatura and the Pontifical Councils for Laity, for Promoting Christian Unity and for Justice and Peace. These Congregations assist the Holy Father in his administration of the affairs of the Holy See. We will be busy.
At these Congregations and Councils we will have a chance to raise questions and to discuss any concerns with the Prefects and their staffs, as well as respond to their questions. Often, the Prefects’ questions are based on the Quinquennial reports of the dioceses.
Although customary in the past, bishops are no longer invited to celebrate Mass, dine with or meet individually with Pope Benedict XVI because of his age and pastoral demands, but we will have an opportunity to meet with him in small groups, probably with the Santa Fe Province, for about 20 minutes.
I know, because of reports from previous visits, and my own experience, that Benedict is very attentive to the comments made by each bishop during their brief time with the Pope. I have a number of concerns I might bring up to the Holy Father, including the shortage of priests, the annulment process and how to respond to divorced and remarried Catholics unable to receive Communion, the challenges of immigration, concerns about religious freedom and how to bring Catholics back to the faith.
Another custom is to visit with Ambassador Miguel Díaz, our United States Ambassador to the Holy See.  I have known Miguel for some time since he and his wife, Marian, were professors of theology at St. John’s in Collegeville.
I am sure there will be time to feast on some great Italian pasta and to enjoy the beauty of Rome. One great way to see Rome is running in the morning or afternoon — as long as you can dodge the crowds of tourists meandering through the streets and can avoid falling on the cobblestone that lines most Roman streets. It is one of things I most enjoy when in the history-filled city.
I will share with you the results of the visits when I return.