Vatican more aware of needs of local church, U.S. bishop says

Published: 2004-05-21

ROME (CNS) -- Keeping abreast of the concerns of 1 billion Catholics around the world takes a tremendous amount of administrative organization, and one Texas bishop said the Vatican has begun doing a very good job of keeping in touch with the pulse of local churches. "This is my fourth 'ad limina' visit to Rome, and the one this year is so far the best organized one of all," said Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer of San Angelo, Texas. "There's a new awakening in the center of the church to the needs in the local churches. There's a new effort to understand their needs and questions," he said May 20 in an interview with Catholic News Service. Bishops are required to make "ad limina" visits every five years to meet with the pope and curial officials and to report on the status of their dioceses. Bishop Pfeifer attended the May 16-22 visit with 22 other bishops from Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. "We bishops, as a group, were most concerned about education, and we made sure to point out all the lay efforts" under way in the dioceses, he said.

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