President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Rome on Saturday evening to participate in the installation mass of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church and 267th Bishop of Rome. The ceremonial mass is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at the Vatican, drawing religious and political leaders from around the globe.
President Tinubu was received at Mario De Bernardo Military Airport at 6:00 p.m. local time by Nigerian and Vatican officials, including Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. His visit comes in response to a formal invitation from the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, highlighting the international and interfaith relevance of the Pope’s enthronement.
Pope Leo XIV, in a message to President Tinubu, recalled his past experience in Nigeria, stating, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me, as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
Tinubu is accompanied by a distinguished delegation of Nigerian Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto. The presence of this high-profile group underscores the strong ties between Nigeria and the Vatican.
This moment marks a new chapter in global Catholic leadership, with the Nigerian President’s attendance reaffirming the importance of diplomatic and religious unity in times of global tension.
