California bishops grateful for ad limina trip’s fraternal focus
If the bishops of California, Nevada, and Hawaii were hoping their recent trip to Rome would save the best for last, they were in for a disappointment.
The highlight of the “ad limina ad apostolorum” (“to the thresholds of the apostles”) trip to the Eternal City required of Catholic bishops every few years (officially five, but in the case of the U.S. bishops, it had been seven since the last one) is typically the audience with the successor of Peter himself.
Since Pope Francis became pope nearly seven years ago, pilgrim bishops have described the encounter as less formal and more freewheeling than in the past, with prelates encouraged to ask questions and speak their minds.