Canonical visitation

Imagine you have a friend who lives far away and you haven't seen them in a long time. To visit your friend, you have to follow a specific route or path to get to their house. This is kind of like what a canonical visitation is.

In the Catholic Church, a bishop or someone high up in the church might need to visit a group of priests or a specific church to make sure everything is being done correctly and that everyone is following the rules. This visit is called a canonical visitation.

Just like you have to follow a specific path to visit your friend, the bishop or church leader has to follow certain rules when they visit. They might need to meet with different people and they will ask questions to make sure that things are going well and everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing.

After the visit, the bishop or church leader will write a report about what they saw and heard during the visit. This report will help them make decisions about what needs to be changed or improved.

So, a canonical visitation is like a visit from a special visitor who is making sure everything is okay and following the rules.