By CSN Media Correspondence
(Bishops from the ecclesiastical provinces of Benin, Ibadan, Lagos, Onitsha and Owerri are currently in Rome for their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit).
MONDAY:
• The programme officially began on Monday, 2 March, with the celebration of the Eucharist at the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. The liturgy was presided over by Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, immediate past President of the CBCN.
• Following the Mass, the Bishops paused in prayer at the tomb of the late Pope Francis, located within the Basilica, entrusting the Church in Nigeria to God’s providence.
• The day continued with series of official encounters with several dicasteries of the Roman Curia. Among those visited were the:
Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
Dicastery for the Causes of Saints,
Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and the
Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity.
These meetings provided an opportunity to exchange views on pastoral realities and to strengthen collaboration between the local Church in Nigeria and the universal Church.
TUESDAY:
• On Tuesday, 3 March, the Bishops began their day with communal prayer and the celebration of Holy Mass, presided over by Most Rev. Gabriel Abegunrin.
• Their engagements for the day included visits to the following Dicasteries:
Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the
Secretariat of State.
• Discussions during these sessions touched on a range of pastoral and societal concerns, including the Church’s commitment to evangelisation, human dignity, peacebuilding, and the pursuit of the common good.
• In the evening, the Bishops were received at dinner by His Excellency, Most Rev. Fortunatus Nwachukwu, Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelisation, providing a further occasion for fraternal exchange.
• As their pilgrimage continues, the Bishops remain united in prayer for the Church and people of Nigeria, and they invite the faithful to accompany them spiritually so that this visit may bear abundant fruit for the life of the Church and for the good of the nation.