President Bola Tinubu will leave Abuja on Saturday for Rome to attend the formal inauguration of Pope Leo XIV as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
This was made known by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy. He stated that President Tinubu was invited by Pope Leo XIV through a letter sent by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in which the Pope emphasized the importance of the President’s presence at the ceremony. The event is described as a significant spiritual gathering for a world grappling with numerous challenges and unrest.
Pope Leo XIV, who previously served in Nigeria as part of the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s, expressed a personal connection to the country, describing Nigeria as “particularly dear” to him.
Joining the President on the trip are key figures from Nigeria’s Catholic community and diplomatic corps. The delegation includes the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Archbishop of Owerri and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese.
Pope Leo XIV, born Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, will be officially installed as the 267th Bishop of Rome on Sunday, May 18, at a solemn mass to be held in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. His election followed a conclave convened 27 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
