Pope Leo meets with Nigeria's bishops during ad limina visit

Pope Leo XIV welcomed bishops from Nigeria to the Vatican March 6 as part of their “ad limina Apostolorum” visit, an occasion for church leaders to seek guidance and spiritual renewal.

“Ad limina Apostolorum” a Latin phrase meaning “to the threshold of the apostles,” refers to the periodic journeys bishops make to Rome to pray at the tombs of St. Peter and Paul and meet with the pope. 

According to the Nigeria Catholic Network, the bishops celebrated Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary Major and prayed at the tomb of the late Pope Francis. During their visit, they also met with several dicasteries of the Roman Curia to discuss evangelization, peace building, and other pastoral priorities.

The Holy See describes ad limina visits as an important part of the pope’s pastoral ministry, offering him the opportunity to receive bishops from around the world and discuss matters related to their ecclesial mission. 

In a video posted Friday on X (formerly Twitter) by Vatican News, the pope is seen meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. 

The visit comes as Nigeria continues to face severe religious persecution, with tens of thousands of civilians in attacks on religious communities in recent years.