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Holy See looks forward to continuing engagement with Nigeria, international community on human dignity, common good, peace through dialogue
The Federal Government has hailed the exemplary conduct of Pope Leo XIV as he marks the first anniversary of his election as Pope.
This was even as the government expressed appreciation to the Holy See for 50 years of excellent diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
Speaking at a reception in Abuja to commemorate the first anniversary of the election of Pope Leo XIV, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Nigeria, and the visit of the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, extended Nigeria’s warmest congratulations to Pope Leo XIV on the first anniversary of his election to the Chair of Saint Peter.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said over the past year, Pope Leo XIV’s spiritual leadership, humility, compassion, and unwavering commitment to peace, justice, dialogue, and the dignity of every human person have continued to inspire millions across the world.
His message of hope and solidarity, the minister also said, resonated deeply at a time when humanity was faced with complex global challenges that demanded greater understanding, reconciliation, and cooperation.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further said the commemorative event provided an opportunity to celebrate five decades of enduring and fruitful diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Holy See.
The minister said: “Since the establishment of these relations in 1976, our partnership has been built upon shared values of peace, human dignity, social justice, respect for fundamental freedoms, interfaith dialogue, and the promotion of the common good.
“The Holy See has remained a valued partner in advancing humanitarian causes, education, healthcare, peacebuilding, and moral leadership across the world. In Nigeria, the Catholic Church has made immense contributions to national development through its extensive investments in education, healthcare, social welfare, and community development. These efforts have positively impacted millions of Nigerians irrespective of faith or ethnicity.”
While saying that Nigeria remained firmly committed to strengthening the longstanding relationship, Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated that the Government of Nigeria valued the Holy See’s consistent support for peaceful coexistence, conflict resolution, religious harmony, and sustainable human development.
“These ideals align closely with Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives of promoting peace, stability, dialogue, and international cooperation.
“As we mark this golden jubilee, we reaffirm our resolve to deepen collaboration with the Holy See in areas of mutual interest, particularly peacebuilding, humanitarian action, youth development, education, healthcare, environmental stewardship, and the promotion of shared human values. Together, we can continue to build bridges of understanding and foster a more peaceful, just, and compassionate world.
“Permit me to once again congratulate His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, on this important anniversary and to commend everyone who has contributed to the success of the enduring partnership between Nigeria and the Holy See over the past fifty years.
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“May the friendship between our two States continue to flourish for generations to come,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu prayed.
Speaking earlier, Gallagher thanked the audience for joining the Nunciature to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Nigeria and, in a particular way, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, for the kindness and graciousness that she has shown him since his arrival in Nigeria.
The top Vatican official further said the event celebrated the special bond of cooperation that exists between the Holy See and Nigeria, a bond that is built not on the basis of political or material interests, but on the shared values of protecting the God-given dignity of the human person, guaranteeing religious freedom, and promoting justice and peace.
Gallagher also said the Holy See valued the collaboration with Nigeria, which affirmed faith in one God and strove to build a human family in which no one is oppressed and which endeavoured to achieve the common good, that is peace and prosperity, for one and for all.
“We all surely recall, the first words of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV were “May Peace be with you all!” A little over a year has passed since his election, and people everywhere now look up to him as a beacon of peace. He continues to promote dialogue and reconciliation, giving a voice to the voiceless and to those in the most vulnerable situations. He is also a strong voice of reason in defence of human dignity in the face of a new and uncertain horizon. In his first Encyclical Letter Humanitas Magnifica, the Holy Father discusses, among other topics, Artificial Intelligence, not the technology per se, but the risk it poses in terms of human work and perhaps even to human dignity, in the pursuit of enhanced comfort of a privileged few,” Gallagher said.
On issues relating to human dignity, the common good, and peace through dialogue, Gallagher said the Holy See looked forward to continuing engagement with Nigeria and all members of the international community.
In his remarks, the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Crotty, expressed gratitude to all the staff of the Apostolic Nunciature for their tireless efforts in the preparation for the ceremony.
The Papal Nuncio also thanked the Nunciature choir, the Association of Papal Knights and Medallists of Nigeria, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assigning protocol officers to Archbishop Gallagher upon his arrival in Nigeria, which greatly assisted in the smooth transfer to the various engagements and meetings.
“Dear colleagues of the diplomatic corps and distinguished guests, I thank all of you for gracing us with your presence this evening.
“I thank H.E. Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, for making this trip to Nigeria and being our honoured guest this evening. We are delighted to have you here with us to mark the first anniversary of the election of Pope Leo XIV as the Roman Pontiff and also for the 50 years of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We hoped that you have enjoyed your visit and we look forward to hosting you again in the future.
“Finally, I wish to thank Her Excellency, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for being personally available and accessible over the past number of months and weeks for the preparation of the visit to mark our mutual and bilateral diplomatic relations. You have made those relations truly mutual, and I thank you most sincerely for everything that you have done to make Archbishop Gallagher truly welcome to Nigeria,” Crotty said.
