President Bola Tinubu will depart for Rome on Saturday to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The visit follows an official invitation from the Vatican, extended after the Conclave of Cardinals elected Pope Leo XIV. The inaugural mass is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City.
According to a statement issued Thursday by Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Pope, in a letter delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, expressed appreciation for Tinubu’s attendance, calling it “significant at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
Pope Leo XIV, who previously served in Nigeria as part of the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s, fondly recalled his connection to the country, describing it as “particularly dear to me.”
The President will be joined by prominent Nigerian Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri and 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 accompanying the delegation is Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly 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.
