President Bola Tinubu will travel to Rome this weekend to attend the official inauguration of Pope Leo XIV. This visit comes at the special invitation of the Vatican and is part of the high-level events surrounding the installation of the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
According to a statement released on Thursday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Tinubu is expected to attend a mass at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, May 18, which will mark the formal beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s leadership as the 267th Bishop of Rome.
The invitation to the Nigerian President came directly from the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In the letter, Pope Leo XIV expressed the importance of President Tinubu’s attendance, stating that it is a time of deep significance for both the Catholic Church and the global community facing ongoing unrest.
“Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s,” Pope Leo XIV noted in the message.
Tinubu will not make the journey alone. He will be joined by several prominent Catholic and government figures from Nigeria.
These include Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and a delegation of top Church leaders: Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; and Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos.
Also listed as part of the entourage is Bishop Matthew Kukah, who leads the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto and is widely known for his contributions to public discourse and peace efforts in Nigeria.
Pope Leo XIV, previously known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected by the College of Cardinals 27 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21. The inauguration ceremony in the Vatican is expected to draw several heads of state and global religious figures.
President Tinubu’s visit to the Vatican is brief. He is scheduled to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, May 20.
