President Bola Tinubu is set to travel to Rome, Italy, on Saturday at the invitation of Pope Leo XIV, to attend the inaugural mass of the new Pope.
According to a statement from his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu will be accompanied by prominent Catholic leaders to the event, which marks the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate as the 267th Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church.
In the invitation sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of President Tinubu’s presence, highlighting the significance of the moment for the Catholic Church and the world facing numerous tensions and conflicts.
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The Pope also expressed his personal connection to Nigeria, noting, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
The President’s delegation includes Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Archbishops Lucius Ugorji (Owerri), Ignatius Kaigama (Abuja), and Alfred Martins (Lagos), as well as Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, will be officially installed on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
He was elected by the Conclave of Cardinals 27 days after the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 21.
President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
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