Prelate meets with the Pope
-prays at sacred sites
-meets with Onitsha Archdiocesan priests,seminarians in Rome
By Ononye VC
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Onitsha,Most Rev Valerian Okeke has undertaken a historic “Ad Limina” visit to Rome with other member bishops of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN)led by their outgoing President, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji.
The two week visit of the bishops(March1-16,2026),was aimed at strengthening ties with the Holy See.
According to reports monitored from Rome,the Catholic bishops met with Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican during their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit.
The delegation presented reports on the state of the church in Nigeria.The first group of bishops consisted of bishops from the ecclesiastical provinces of Onitsha,Benin,Ibadan,Owerri and Lagos.
The bishops also discussed pastoral challenges,security concerns and the need for peace in Nigeria.
In his remarks at the closing Mass of the Ad Limina Apostolorum 2026 visit by the first group of the Nigerian bishop’s conference at the Basilica of St John in Lateran Rome, Archbishop Okeke thanked God for the gift of the communion and the unity,which is shared with the universal church.
The Archbishop prayed for the faith of John the Baptist,for the love of John the Evangelist and also prayed that the spirit of Christ the Savior and Redeemer may be in all faithful,the Archbishop concluded.
