President Bola Tinubu will travel to Rome, Italy, on Saturday, May 17, to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
This was announced in a statement on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. He said Tinubu’s visit follows an invitation from the Vatican after Pope Leo was elected by the Conclave of Cardinals.
The inauguration mass will take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City. The ceremony will officially begin the reign of Pope Leo XIV.
In a letter to President Tinubu, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said the Pope sees Tinubu’s attendance as important. He wrote, “Your presence will be significant at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
Pope Leo also shared his connection to Nigeria. He said, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
President Tinubu will be joined by top Catholic leaders from Nigeria. These include Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, who is the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto.
Also part of the delegation is Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected 27 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
