President Bola Tinubu is set to travel to Rome, Italy, on Saturday to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected head of the Roman Catholic Church.
This was revealed in a statement on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy. Tinubu’s attendance comes at the invitation of the Vatican, following the election of Pope Leo XIV by the Conclave of Cardinals.
The inauguration mass is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, marking the official start of Pope Leo’s pontificate.
In a letter addressed to President Tinubu, Cardinal Pietro Parolin conveyed the Pope’s appreciation for his planned presence, describing it as meaningful “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
Pope Leo also reminisced about his experience in Nigeria, noting, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
The President will be joined by prominent Nigerian Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, who also serves as 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.
Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, will also be part of the delegation.
Pope Leo XIV, previously 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.
What you should know
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was a Vatican official with past diplomatic experience in Nigeria.
His election marks a new era for the Catholic Church, and President Tinubu’s participation in the inauguration underscores Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
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