From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu will travel to Rome, Italy, on Saturday, May 17, to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Presidency announced that the solemn ceremony is set for Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement that Pope Leo XIV extended the invitation through Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Pope emphasised Tinubu’s presence as vital “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
He also noted a personal connection, saying, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
Tinubu’s delegation includes top Catholic leaders: Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto; and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Onanuga stated, “The President’s attendance underscores the strong diplomatic ties between Nigeria and the Vatican and highlights the significance of this historic moment for the Catholic Church and global peace.”
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected 27 days after Pope Francis’s death on April 21. Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.