On January 28, 2008, the “Ad limina Apostolorum” visit of the Greek-Catholic bishops from Ukraine to the Vatican started. “Ad limina Apostolorum” is an old practice which once concerned bishops who did their pastoral service around Rome. In the 13th century it spread to the whole world. Every five years, or when the possibility allows, Catholic bishops from all over the world arrive in Rome in their turn for the visit “Ad limina Apostolorum,” which in Latin means “To the tombs of the Holy Apostles.” During this visit they have the opportunity for personal conversation with the Universal Hierarch; they conduct joint services in Roman basilicas, meet at Vatican offices, and also have a general audience with the Pope.
The Greek-Catholic Bishops from Ukraine have for the first time come to Rome for such a visit after the legalization of the UGCC. About this visit His Beatitude Lubomyr, the Head of the UGCC, said in particular for the Information Department: “In the Church the apostles were always treated with special honor. The main apostles Peter and Paul both died a martyr’s death and were buried in Rome. A pilgrimage to tombs of those apostles, it is understood, is always joined with a visit to the bishop of Rome, the successor of the apostle Peter – the Holy Father, the Pope of Rome. At the same time, the bishops present to the Pope the state of affairs in their eparchy. The main accent during the conversation with the Holy Father is made not so much on the future as on the past.”
According to the Head of the UGCC, in the case of the Eastern Catholic Churches the Pope has a meeting only with the Major Archbishop or Patriarch, who presents the state of affairs in his particular “sui juris” Church. “This time we have chosen a slightly different way. In order to give a chance to each of our ruling bishops to present his eparchy by himself, we decided that in the visit ‘Ad limina Apostolorum’ all our bishops would participate,” explained His Beatitude Lubomyr. And then he added: “Such an examination is extraordinarily useful. Every larger or smaller organization needs to conduct an analysis of its state of affairs. The Church is the same.”
The morning of January 28, 2007, the bishops served a Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The service, which was held on the altar of Saint Basil, under which are kept the relics of Saint Josaphat the Martyr, was headed by His Beatitude Lubomyr, who also gave a homily in the Ukrainian and Italian languages. Theology students of the Ukrainian Pontifical College of Saint Josaphat sang.Today a personal meeting of the bishops with the Universal Hierarch, Benedict XVI, started. Then similar personal meetings will be conducted with Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and then in a number of larger groups the bishops will visit other departments of the Vatican. The visit is planned to finish on February 2.
Source: www.ugcc.org.ua