Bishop Onah, Nigerian Bishops on Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit in Rome
The Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Godfrey Igwebuike Onah, alongside other bishops of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), is currently participating in the historic Ad Limina Apostolorum visit to Rome — a pilgrimage that deepens communion between local Churches and the universal Church under the pastoral leadership of the Holy Father.
The first group of Nigerian bishops, drawn from the ecclesiastical provinces of Benin, Ibadan, Lagos, Onitsha, and Owerri, commenced the visit on Monday, 2 March, with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist at the majestic Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The Mass was presided over by Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, the immediate past President of the CBCN.
Following the Eucharistic celebration, the bishops proceeded in prayerful silence to visit the tomb of the late Pope Francis, who is buried within the Basilica. At the tomb, they offered prayers for the repose of his soul and renewed their commitment to the mission of the Church which he faithfully served.
The day continued with a series of meetings with several dicasteries of the Roman Curia, 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. These encounters allowed the bishops to engage in fruitful dialogue on the liturgical, ecumenical, and pastoral dimensions of the Church’s life.
On Tuesday, 3 March, the bishops began the day with Holy Mass and the prayer of Lauds, presided over by Gabriel Abegunrin. The spiritual tone of the day was followed by further engagements with other important dicasteries of the Holy See, including 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 meetings provided the Nigerian bishops an opportunity to present the pastoral realities of their dioceses, highlighting both the challenges and encouraging signs of hope within the Church in Nigeria. Discussions also touched on the Church’s vital role in fostering peace, justice, evangelization, and the promotion of the common good in a society confronted with numerous social and economic difficulties.
The day concluded with a fraternal dinner hosted by Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, offering the bishops an atmosphere of fellowship and reflection on the mission of the Church in the contemporary world.
In another significant moment of the pilgrimage, the thirty-two bishops were received in audience by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. During the meeting, the bishops presented detailed reports on the pastoral life of their dioceses and shared insights into the evangelising mission of the Church in Nigeria.
The encounter served as a moment of ecclesial communion, as the bishops expressed their loyalty and unity with the successor of Saint Peter. As a visible sign of this communion, they presented symbolic gifts to the Holy Father, reflecting their gratitude and fraternal bond with the Apostolic See.
The Ad Limina Apostolorum visit — meaning “to the thresholds of the Apostles” — remains one of the most significant moments in the life of a bishop. It combines pilgrimage, accountability, and renewal, as bishops pray at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul and strengthen the bonds that unite their local Churches with the universal Church.
As the pilgrimage continues in Rome and Vatican City, the bishops carry the hopes and prayers of the faithful in Nigeria. They, in turn, invite the people of God to remember them in prayer, that this sacred visit may bear abundant fruit for the life and mission of the Church.
