Ad Limina Visit of the Episcopal Conference of Honduras

On 8 October 2026, the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Honduras were received at the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on the occasion of their ad limina Apostolorum visit.

During the opening prayer, the Bishop of Choluteca, His Excellency Most Rev. Teodoro Gómez Rivera, was remembered. He passed away suddenly in Madrid during a layover on his journey to Rome for the ad limina visit.

During the meeting, some aspects of the liturgical and pastoral life of the Church in Honduras were shared. The Bishops highlighted the effort made in the various dioceses to ensure careful preparation for the sacraments of Christian Initiation, with particular attention to the growing number of adults requesting Baptism. The reality of Sunday celebrations in the absence of a priest, entrusted to the “Delegados de la Palabra de Dios (Delegates of the Word of God)”, was also addressed, along with the need to accompany these assemblies adequately so that they preserve a sense of ecclesial communion and of the Lord’s Day.

In the face of social changes and the difficulty of sustaining stable bonds, the Bishops shared their commitment to promoting a family ministry, with paths of formation for marriage.

Regarding the sacrament of Reconciliation, the possibility of celebrating the second form of the rite was discussed. The Dicastery also encouraged the communal celebration of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, so that it may help people better understand its specific grace. It was also recalled that the celebration of funerals offers a unique opportunity for kerygmatic proclamation and evangelization.

The Bishops were encouraged to continue evangelizing popular piety, so that it does not replace liturgical life but is instead an authentic expression of it. The guidelines of the Episcopal Conference on liturgical singing were also recalled, which offer useful direction to those who carry out this service.

The Dicastery addressed the topic of liturgical books and inculturation, recalling its readiness to accompany the related processes. Finally, the Bishops reaffirmed the need for liturgical formation of all the faithful and, in a special way, for the initial formation of candidates for the priesthood and the ongoing formation of the clergy.