Bishop Weisenburger to make historic trip to Vatican, Pope Francis
February6,2020
By MICHAEL BROWN Managing Editor
The year 2020 will be a historic one in the Diocese of Tucson.
It has nothing to do with the presidential election, the Olympics or even the decennial US Census.
It’s the year the bishop travels to the Vatican to meet the pope and other officials of the Roman Curia, or church administration. It’s called the ad limina apostolorum, which is Latin for “to the threshold of the apostles” or ad limina, for short.
Historically, the bishops of the world traveled to the Vatican every five years to discuss a report from their dioceses called the “Quinquennial Report” with the Holy Father and other offices at the Vatican.
However, during St. John Paul II’s papacy, with the erection of new dioceses, a proliferation of papal trips and periods where the pope was ill or drawn away, the length of time between visits expanded. The last ad limina for the Diocese of Tucson took place in 2012, and the one before that was in 2004.
Each of those visits was led by Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, the seated bishop at the time. This year’s ad limina, beginning on Feb. 7, will feature Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger as the ordinary, attending meetings with Curial officials, along with other bishops from Region 13. The region is comprised of dioceses from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. Bishop Kicanas is attending as bishop emeritus.
The highlight of the visit is a group meeting with Pope Francis; it will be the first time Bishop Weisenburger will meet Pope Francis face to face.
On Jan. 17, Bishop Weisenburger spoke about what his expectations were for the trip and the roles with which he has been charged.
“I have actually been asked to be the coordinator of this trip,” the bishop said. That means he helps coordinate the flights into Rome and conveying that information to the Vatican. The bishops will stay at the Pontifical North American College, the American seminary in Rome, with shuttles each day to the respective dicasteries, congregations and offices that comprise the Curia.
Another role for Bishop Weisenburger is as a “capo” or lead person, for the group’s visit to the newly-created Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Part of Pope Francis’ Curial reform, this dicastery was formed last August by the consolidation of four pontifical councils: Justice and Peace, Cor Unum, Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and Health Care. Bishop Kicanas will be the capo for the visit to the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Reports emerging from recent Curial visits show a stark difference from visits during previous ad liminas.
“In the past, bishops were reporting to congregations,” Bishop Weisenburger said. Instead, “we are asking them more questions. It’s much more fraternal.”
The highlight of the trip will be meeting Pope Francis. Bishop Weisenburger noted that he had attended two previous ad limina visits – one as a bishop-elect in Salina, and the other accompanying the Archbishop of Oklahoma City in 2004.
The popes for those visits received the bishops differently. St. John Paul II spent 15 minutes alone with each individual bishop in 2004. Pope Benedict XVI spent 30 minutes with each group of bishops in 2012.
So far, Pope Francis has allocated two and a half hours with each group, encouraging the bishops to ask him anything – nothing is off limits, Bishop Weisenburger said.
Bishops with whom he has spoken and who have already made their ad liminas says this format “works wonderfully,” Bishop Weisenburger said.
News reports from ad liminas from US regions, which began last fall, indicated that Pope Francis emphasized different themes for different regions. Bishop Weisenburger said he is unaware of any theme designated for the bishops of Region 13, but he would not be surprised if the pope spoke to them about migrants and refugees. The pope also has spoken against the rising tide of nationalism.
“Patriotism is a good thing, but nationalism creates division,” the bishop said. “The pope has spoken consistently about that.”