On February 5-9, 2024, members of the Turkish Catholic Bishops' Conference traveled to Rome to visit the ad limina Apostolorum, the threshold of the Apostle's Tomb.
These visits are special times when the bishops inform the Pope of the progress made in their dioceses and receive answers. As the Apostolic Constitution Praedicate evangelium underlines, this visit "represents the highest moment of the relationship of each Church, of each Episcopal Conference and of the Clergy in each of the Institutions of the Eastern hierarchy with the Bishop of Rome. In fact, His Holiness receives his brothers and sisters in the episcopate who visit him, discusses with them matters concerning the good of the Churches and the pastoral function of the bishops, affirms and supports them in faith and divine love.
The climax of the ad limina visit took place on Friday, February 9. After the Eucharist and personal prayer at the Tomb of St. Peter, the clergy met with His Holiness Pope Francis. "We shared with Pope Francis our problems and our hopes," said the President of the Bishops' Conference, Mgr. Martin Kmetec said that the bishops thanked the Pope for his interest in our local Church and expressed their deep gratitude for the attention and sincere concern that the Pope has never lacked.
