Cardinal Péter Erdő, Primate and Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, was the principal celebrant, while the homily was delivered by János Székely, Bishop of Szombathely and President of the MKPK.
The Latin expression ad limina apostolorum, meaning “to the threshold of the Apostles,” refers to the periodic visits made by diocesan bishops from individual countries to Rome, where the tombs of Saints Peter and Paul are located.
In his homily, János Székely highlighted what he described as the central message of the current visit, drawing on the example of the Apostle Peter, who opened his home to Jesus and his followers. He urged the faithful to “invite the poor, the weak, the sick, and those seeking God into our Church, to our table, and into our lives.”
He recalled that the Chapel of Our Lady of Hungary, located in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, is less than 20 meters from the tomb of St. Peter, which he described as “the heart of every ad limina visit.”
He emphasized that Peter had allowed his own home in Galilee to be disrupted and even “destroyed” so that a paralyzed man accompanying Jesus could be lowered into the house through the roof.
“How important it would be for the house of our lives to open up toward heaven. How important it would be for family homes to open up toward heaven each evening through prayer, for us to open our children’s hearts and lives to the mystery of faith, to God. How important it would be for the doors and windows of our Church to remain constantly open to heaven and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit,” János Székely said.
The bishop suggested that sometimes “the boat of the Church may be unable to glide easily across the water because the outpouring of grace is missing. (…) The source of every genuine renewal lies above, in God’s grace.” He stressed that the message of the ad limina visit calls on the faithful to “open the roof of our lives toward heaven, toward grace, and toward the poor and those who suffer.” He added: “If there is no room for the poor in our communities, there will soon be no room for Jesus either.”
In addition to the bishops of the MKPK, the Chapel of Our Lady of Hungary was filled to capacity with Hungarian worshippers. Members of the Pontifical Hungarian Institute and Hungarian priests serving in Rome were also in attendance.