My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

The Bishops of Brooklyn: Bishop Frank Caggiano, Bishop Octavio Cisneros, Bishop Guy Sansaricq, Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan and I have just returned from our ad limina visit to Rome.  The visit to the Tomb of the Apostles is an ancient practice by which bishops show their communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Holy Father.

This visit can be traced in its earliest form to the fourth century. Since the 16th century, the obligation of a visit every five years has been maintained.  During the visit, the bishops venerate the Tomb of the Apostles Peter and Paul by the celebration of the Eucharist and meeting with the successor of Peter, who is now Pope Benedict XVI.
The visit is preceded by a quinquennial report on the condition of the diocese in its pastoral and administrative aspects. During the week-long visit, the bishops also meet with the various offices of the Holy See.

The ad limina visit is not merely a type of jurisdictional and administrative oversight review, but rather a spiritual affirmation of communion with the Holy Father and an opportunity for the bishops to pray and reflect on their responsibilities as successors of the Apostles.

This visit was conducted in a new manner differing from previous ad limina visits, in that the Holy Father met with several dioceses at a time rather than individually.

The dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre formed one group at which time we were able to brief the Holy Father on the condition of the Church on the whole of Long Island, from Brooklyn to Montauk Point. Our “island” is truly an example of economic, ethnic and pastoral diversity which was noted by the Holy Father. Each bishop was allowed to speak to the pope on any topic he wished, and the Holy Father was brief and direct with his individual responses.

Encouragement and Challenges
The bishops of the whole province of New York, Region II, again met with the Holy Father and listened to his particular address to us which included the following elements: encouragement in our efforts to protect children against sexual abuse which might be adopted by the broader society, the challenge we face in political and moral witness in an increasingly secularized society, the need for the New Evangelization and the implementation of the new Roman Missal.  The full text can be found on the diocesan and The Tablet websites (www.dioceseofbrooklyn.org and www.thetablet.org).

Since being ordained a bishop, this was the third ad limina visit I have made, and it was perhaps the most pleasant and informative. Besides the beautiful Roman weather, which was unusual for the end of November, the atmosphere in the Vatican was very cordial and welcoming. Certainly, the warmth of the Holy Father was quite evident and the spirit of collaboration with the various Vatican offices was most visible and helpful.

The visit of the ad limina is truly a pilgrimage in which one puts out into the deep history and reality of the Church. The Church Universal is not a multi-national corporation of which the bishops are branch managers. Rather, we are members of the Body of Christ joined in special communion by spiritual and sacramental bonds which the ad limina visit serves to strengthen. Join me in praying for the health and strength of our Holy Father who in his person as Christ’s Vicar unites the Church.