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Bishop Wanok Returns from Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit to Rome

*Bishop Wanok blesses those who gathered to welcome him from Rome.*

By Flavia Oyuu, Communications Office

The Bishop of Lira Diocese, Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok, on Saturday evening returned to Uganda Martyrs Cathedral in Lira after a week-long Ad Limina Apostolorum visit to Rome.

Bishop Wanok arrived at the cathedral a few minutes past 6:00 p.m. and was received by a joyful crowd of pupils from St. Kizito Primary School accompanied by their school band.

In his welcome remarks, the Vicar General of Lira Diocese, Msgr. Innocent Valente Opio, said it gladdened the hearts of the faithful to receive “the father of the home” after two weeks of his absence from the diocese.

He thanked the Bishop for representing the people of Lira Diocese well before the Holy Father during the visit.

Msgr. Opio added that due to the ongoing war in the Middle East, Christians in the diocese had been praying for the Bishop to travel safely to Rome and return home without difficulty.

He also assured the Bishop that the diocese remained stable during his absence, noting that only a few minor challenges had occurred. Among them, he mentioned that Msgr. Polycarp Opio, the Vicar for the Clergy, had recently lost his uncle.

Speaking after the welcome, Bishop Wanok expressed gratitude to the faithful for the warm reception and for keeping him in prayer throughout his journey.

The Bishop shared that the visit to Rome had been both spiritually enriching and demanding, involving meetings with various Vatican offices as well as a personal audience with the Holy Father together with other bishops.

He said the Pope showed great concern about the wellbeing of Christians in their dioceses and encouraged the bishops to continue strengthening the faith of their people. According to Bishop Wanok, the Holy Father expressed joy that Uganda remains one of the strongest countries in Africa in matters of faith, largely because of the witness of the Uganda Martyrs.

The Bishop also noted that during the meetings, the bishops shared reports on different aspects of Church life, including education, health services, charitable work through Caritas and the general pastoral mission of the Church.

While in Rome, the bishops also visited important pilgrimage sites, including the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, where they prayed for the Church, the clergy, religious and the faithful back home.

Bishop Wanok said he remained in Rome briefly after the official meetings to make a personal retreat, during which he spent time in prayer for the people of Lira Diocese, the country and all those who had asked for his prayers.

He concluded by thanking the Christian community for their unity and commitment to supporting the mission of the Church in the diocese.

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Bishop Wanok Urges Renewal and Unity During Ad Limina Visit in Rome

*Ugandan Bishops during their ad limina visit at the Vatican (Courtesy)*

By Fr Isaac Ojok, Communications Office, Lira Diocese

The Bishop of Lira Diocese, Rt. Rev. Sanctus Lino Wanok, has called on the faithful to embrace spiritual renewal, unity, and practical Christian living during this Lenten season.

Delivering his homily from Vatican City, Rome, where he is participating in the Ad Limina visit of Catholic Bishops from Uganda, Bishop Wanok reflected on the message of the Fifth Sunday of Lent, emphasizing that the Word of God speaks directly to the realities faced by Christians in Lango subregion.

He highlighted key challenges affecting communities, including family conflicts, poverty, youth unemployment, weakening faith, and divisions within society and Church groups. Despite these difficulties, the Bishop reassured the faithful of God’s promise of new life and restoration.

Drawing from the Gospel account of the raising of Lazarus, Bishop Wanok underscored the importance of listening, collaboration, and shared responsibility within the Church. He encouraged Christians to become a listening community, to work together in overcoming challenges, and to actively support one another in faith.

The Bishop also called on individuals to reflect on personal and communal obstacles such as unforgiveness, division, corruption, and lack of active participation in Church life, urging them to take concrete steps toward change.

He emphasized that true renewal in Lira Diocese will come through a deeper relationship with God and openness to the Holy Spirit, rather than plans alone.

As part of his Lenten message, Bishop Wanok proposed three key actions for the faithful: deepening prayer life, strengthening Small Christian Communities, and taking practical steps to reconcile, support the needy, and guide the youth.

He concluded by encouraging hope and faith among the faithful, reminding them that God continues to call His people to new life.

The Bishop delivered his homily during the ongoing Ad Limina visit, a significant moment of prayer and reflection for bishops in communion with the universal Church, in the Vatican City, Rome.

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Catholic Bishops of Uganda on ‘ad limina’ Visit to Rome.

*Catholic Bishops of Uganda pose for a photo inside the Basilica of St. John Lateran (Cathedral of the Pope).*

The expression “ad limina apostolorum” comes from Latin and means “to the thresholds of the apostles.” During this time, the bishops visit the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, as well as the various dicasteries of the Roman Curia, ending with a meeting with the Pope.

By Flavia Oyuu, Communications Office, Lira Diocese

The Catholic Bishops of Uganda, under their umbrella body, the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC), are currently in Rome to participate in the traditional “ad limina apostolorum” visit, a significant moment in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Bishops who left Uganda on Saturday, March 14, had the celebration of the Holy Mass today in the Basilica of St. John Lateran which is the Cathedral of the Pope as the Bishop of Rome. This is the oldest Basilica. Their Ad Limina Visit is expected to conclude on March 21, 2026. Every serving bishop (not emeritus bishops) has made the ad limina visit meaning there are 18 Catholic Bishops from the 19 Dioceses (Jinja Diocese is under the Apostolic Administration of His Grace Emmanuel Obbo who is the Archbishop of Tororo Archdiocese).

The spiritual heart of the ad limina visit are Masses at the 4 major Papal Basilicas of Rome: St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major. In addition, the bishops will meet with officials from the different dicasteries and offices of the Roman Curia. The visit also provides an opportunity for the bishops to receive guidance, encouragement, direction and an update from Vatican authorities on matters concerning faith, Church governance, and evangelization.

The Ad Limina Visit is a mandatory and periodic undertaken by Catholic bishops from around the world to Rome, typically every five years whereby each Episcopal Conference is scheduled according to a plan set by the Holy See. The visit provides bishops with the opportunity to meet with the Pope and officials of the Vatican to present reports on the pastoral and administrative state of their Dioceses.

According to Rev. Fr. Miguel Silvestre of the Work of the Church, an institution of pontifical right entrusted with the mission of welcoming the prelates and facilitating their stay in the Holy City (Rome) notes that although there is no specific date for the institution of the ad limina visit, many accounts trace its origin back to the fourth century.

Fr. Silvestre explained that in the sixth century, the obligation of the ad limina visit properly began and was later extended universally, with various regulations, until it was formally established by canon law as it exists today. It was St. John Paul II who gave a new and renewed impetus to this type of visit by bishops with the Holy Father.

Fr. Silvestre emphasized the importance of the ad limina meetings, where “the ecclesial and hierarchical communion of the entire episcopate of a country is manifested in a concrete way, as particular [local] Churches, among themselves and with the universal Church, through their union with the Holy Father.”

During the visit, the Catholic Bishops of Ugandan will have an opportunity to meet the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV as a group for the first time since his election as Pope in May 2025 and hold discussions with leaders of various Vatican departments.

In meeting with the Holy Father, each Bishop will present a “quinquennial report” which is a detailed report on the state of a diocese. It is an update on the activities of the bishop and diocese in several areas, including the liturgical and sacramental life of the local Church, Catholic education, evangelization, communications, social teaching of the Church, the financial state of the diocese among others.

The Ad Limina visit strengthens the unity between local Churches (Dioceses) and the Holy Father. A key spiritual highlight of the pilgrimage is prayer at the tombs of the Apostles, particularly Saint Peter the Apostle and Paul the Apostle, where the bishops renew their commitment to the apostolic mission of the Church.

The visit further provides bishops with an opportunity for reflection and renewal. It allows each bishop to deepen his responsibility as a shepherd of God’s people and to return, strengthened and affirmed by the successor of the Apostle Peter who is the Pope.

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Category Archives: Church Event

Bishop Wanok Returns from Ad Limina Apostolorum Visit to Rome

Bishop Wanok Urges Renewal and Unity During Ad Limina Visit in Rome

Catholic Bishops of Uganda on ‘ad limina’ Visit to Rome.