President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Saturday depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The visit comes in response to an official invitation from the Vatican, conveyed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Leo XIV. The solemn mass, marking the beginning of the Pope’s pontificate, will take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
In the letter of invitation, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the symbolic importance of the Nigerian leader’s presence, stating: “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.” He added that President Tinubu’s attendance is crucial “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the President will be accompanied by a high-level delegation of Catholic leaders and top government officials.
“The President’s entourage includes the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Archbishop of Owerri and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto,” Onanuga confirmed.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected by the Conclave of Cardinals 27 days after the death of Pope Francis on April 21. His election as the 267th Bishop of Rome marks a new chapter for the Catholic Church.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
