“There’s water on the table. Feel free to stand and get one if you are thirsty. The restroom is over there if you need.” This was how Pope Francis started his audience with the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific (CEPAC), welcoming them in his private library at the Apostolic Palace. He was really a gracious host, making everyone welcome and thus setting a relax and comfortable mood to a very important meeting that happens only once every few years.
The private audience with the Holy Father on Monday, September 30th was the highlight of the ‘ad limina’ visit of the bishop of CEPAC which the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa belongs. For Bishop Ryan, this is his second ‘ad limina’ visit but his first as a bishop. The last one was on December 2011 with Pope Benedict, when he was still the Apostolic Administrator of the diocese. “Coming back here is definitely a blessing and coming back here as a bishop is quite different”, says Bishop Ryan.
‘Ad Limina’ visit is the meeting that groups of bishops from each ecclesiastical region in the world have with the pope which traditionally is done every five years but recently has changed. The last visit of CEPAC bishops was 8 years ago. During such visits, bishops’ conferences prepare exhaustive reports for each dicastery, describing the status of the Church in the country or region.
In his interview with the North Star, Bishop Ryan described their experience in Rome in these days. “There are several things that are integral part in the ad limina visit”, he said. “At the heart of it is the communion, of being one with the successor of Peter and so we did have Mass at the tomb of St. Peter last Friday, and then also at the tomb of St. Paul Outside the Walls and of course today’s audience with the Holy Father.”
The other element of this visit is the meetings with the different dicastery of the Vatican. In particular all bishops are required to meet with 4 dicastery: The Congregation of the Doctrine and Faith (CDF), Congregation of the Divine Worship, Congregation of the Propagation of Faith (Propaganda Fide) and the newest dicastery, the Dicastery on Integral Development. Visits to other dicastery were optional to the bishops and they are free to pick which ones to attend depending on what is fitting and applicable to their respective dioceses. Bishop Ryan was assigned to make a report on the Dicastery on Communication because in CEPAC he is also in-charge of communication.
Pope Francis introduced some important changes in the ‘ad limina’ visit. Whereas before, the pope’s meeting with bishops were so formal and structured with prepared speeches, this time Pope Francis opted for a more casual and informal type of meeting where he and the bishops can have an spontaneous and open discussion on any topics or issues relevant to the situation of the local churches. With the bishops of the Pacific, he spent almost an hour and a half of open discussion where every bishop had a chance to speak and ask questions to the Pope.
One of the topics that the pope spoke at great length was about the catechists, recalled Bishop Ryan. “He spoke at length about catechist, really emphasizing that the catechists are the backbone of the Church. He emphasized how Japan and Korea for two hundred years were without priests, but the catechists kept the faith alive.” Bishop Ryan himself wanted to reiterate this message to all catechists in the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa: CCD catechists, Catechists of the Neo Catechumenal Way and indeed anyone having this role of transmitting the faith.
In his conversation with Pope Francis, Bishop Ryan spoke about three things: First was the devastation that Saipan and Tinian suffered last year with Super-Typhoon Yutu. He shared with the pope about the suffering of many families endured and the destruction of the homes and the church. “I told Pope Francis that along with the rebuilding of the structures is the rebuilding of our faith and that is why we do our best in implementing the priority ministries in our Pastoral Plan.”
The second thing the Bishop Ryan shared Pope Francis is the different activities that the diocese does for the youth and how the pope’s latest document, Christus Vivit is very important. And finally, Bishop Ryan shared with the Pope about the plight of so many contract workers in Northern Marianas and the immigration problem that the community faced.
At the end of the meeting, Pope Francis told the bishops: “please tell your people, share with the people that I send my greetings to all of them and I pray for you!” And as he usually concludes his speeches, he also asks for prayer from everyone.
