Nearly fifty bishops from Peru have concluded their ad limina Apostolorum visit in Rome, the first since 2017. For six days, the delegation experienced an intense experience of ecclesial communion, prayer, and encounter with Pope Leo XIV. Mons. Víctor Villegas, bishop of Chota and Augustinian Recollect, emphasizes the climate of episcopal fraternity and the closeness of the Holy Father, which especially marked this pilgrimage to the heart of the Church.
A visit marked by reunion and communion
The ad limina visit of the Peruvian bishops has had a particular significance due to the time elapsed since the last one, held in 2017. “Practically nine years have passed. For me, it has also been the first time I have participated,” explains Mons. Víctor Villegas. In total, about fifty bishops from the country met in Rome to fulfill this canonical obligation and experience ecclesial communion.
Beyond the official acts, the bishop of Chota highlights the human and fraternal value of the meeting: “It has done us a lot of good to be together. Sharing, conversing, having lunch, walking. We are used to protocols and formal reports, but we also needed those spaces for coexistence.” For Mons. Villegas, this climate has strengthened mutual trust and closeness among the members of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference.
What is the ad limina Apostolorum visit?
The ad limina visit is a pilgrimage that bishops make to Rome every five years, as established by the Code of Canon Law. In it, they present the Roman Pontiff with a report on the pastoral situation of their dioceses and venerate the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.
“Ad limina Apostolorum means going to the thresholds of the apostles, walking with Peter and with Paul,” explains Mons. Villegas. For this reason, one of the central moments of the visit is the celebration of the Eucharist in St. Peter’s Basilica, next to the tomb of the apostle Peter, and in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, next to the tomb of the apostle to the Gentiles.
The three fundamental axes of the pilgrimage
The bishop of Chota summarizes the experience in three essential pillars. The first is the pilgrimage to the tombs of the apostles, a visible sign of apostolic continuity and the communion of the entire Church. “We are bishops from different dioceses and countries, but we all form one body,” he affirms.
The second axis is the meeting with the Pope, successor of Peter and visible head of the Church. “The visit with the Holy Father is one of the crucial points,” notes Mons. Villegas, recalling that the unity of the universal Church is made visible in him.
The third pillar is the meetings with the dicasteries of the Roman Curia, bodies that collaborate with the Pope in the pastoral government of the Church and in its service to the People of God.
The closeness of Pope Leo XIV, a gesture that leaves its mark
One of the most commented aspects of this visit has been the closeness of Pope Leo XIV with the Peruvian bishops. Mons. Villegas describes it as a profoundly human and pastoral experience: “He has broken the mold with us.” Among the most significant gestures, he recalls an unexpected visit from the Pope during a lunch: “He arrived and invited us to sit at his table, saying: ‘come, there are spaces missing here.’”
That simple and direct treatment left a strong impression on the bishops. “He shook hands with everyone, smiled with everyone. We have felt very close,” he affirms. For Mons. Villegas, this attitude transmits confidence and reflects a profoundly evangelical pastoral style.
An Augustinian Pope: “We speak the same language”
As an Augustinian Recollect, Mons. Villegas experienced with special intensity the fact of meeting an Augustinian Pope. “It’s like being a fish in water,” he confesses. In his opinion, it is not just a charismatic coincidence, but a concrete way of living and transmitting the faith: “He not only says he is Augustinian, but he lives it and transmits it.”
This common language is perceived both in personal closeness and in pastoral vision. “That gives us confidence and makes us feel that we speak the same language,” adds the bishop of Chota.
A sign of communion and hope for the Peruvian Church
As a symbolic gesture, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference presented Pope Leo XIV with a circular image with the Peruvian saints, a sign of the faith and Christian history of the country. Regarding a possible visit of the Pope to Peru, Mons. Villegas is cautious: “As long as there is no official document, I prefer not to give dates. The desire is there, but we must wait.”
The ad limina visit has been, in short, an intense experience of communion, fraternity, and pastoral renewal. “It has been a short but very intense week,” concludes Mons. Villegas, convinced that this meeting will strengthen the mission of the Peruvian Church in communion with the successor of Peter.
