Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Catholic bishops of Uganda are expected in Rome for their ad limina apostolorum visit, marking the second group of African bishops to meet Pope Leo XIV in recent weeks as part of the periodic Vatican pilgrimages.
Available information from Catholic Secretariat – Nsambya and reports by The Vatican News shows that the delegation from the Uganda Episcopal Conference (UEC) will depart for the Vatican today and on arrival they will begin a series of meetings with Vatican officials, prayers at the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul, and a private audience with the Pope.
This marks the first time the Ugandan Bishops have met Pope Leo XIV, the former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, elected in May 2025 as the first American-born pontiff, collectively since his election.
The ad limina visits, meaning “to the thresholds” of the apostles, require bishops to report every five years, though intervals can vary from three to ten years, on the pastoral, educational, social, and administrative life of their dioceses. The visit is mandatory.
“Every Five years a diocesan bishop is bound to make a report to the Supreme Pontiff on the state of the diocese entrusted to him, according to the form and time determined by the Apostolic See, ” reads Canon 399 of the Catholic Church.
According to reports, the Bishops’ meeting and related events will start next week and run for slightly more than a week. The programme will end with an audience with Pope Francis.
Uganda’s last full visit occurred in June 2018 under Pope Francis, with a prior one in March 2010 under Pope Benedict XVI. In between, Ugandan bishops have maintained contact through smaller delegations or individual trips.
Uganda’s Bishops follow closely on the heels of Nigerian bishops, who conducted their ad limina in two groups earlier in March 2026. The first Nigerian group met Pope Leo XIV on March 6, with the second group convening shortly after, making the Ugandans the second major African episcopal conference to engage the new pontiff in this format amid a wave of African ad limina visits.
In statements ahead of the trip, Bishop Sanctus Lino Wanok of Lira Diocese and Vice Chairman of the UEC highlighted the visit’s spiritual importance, emphasizing unity with the successor of Peter. He noted that the Bishops would present the aspirations and concerns of Uganda’s faithful to the Holy Father.
Key issues expected to feature in discussions include ongoing evangelization efforts, youth formation and education, social justice initiatives, interfaith relations particularly in a diverse religious landscape, security and peacebuilding amid regional challenges, and support for the Church’s mission in addressing poverty, family life, and environmental concerns.
The Bishops have urged Ugandan Catholics to accompany the pilgrimage with prayers, viewing it as a moment to strengthen the local Church’s ties to the universal Church and to seek guidance for contemporary pastoral priorities.
The visit comes ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s planned first apostolic journey to Africa in April 2026, visiting Algeria, Cameroon, Angola, and Equatorial Guinea, underscoring the Vatican’s focus on the continent’s rapidly growing Catholic communities.
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