President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, on Saturday following an official invitation from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV to attend his inauguration as the new head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The President will join other global leaders and Catholic faithful at a solemn mass scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, marking the formal commencement of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate as the 267th Bishop of Rome.
According to a letter delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV expressed his desire for President Tinubu’s presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.” The new Pontiff also noted a personal connection to Nigeria, recalling his service at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s. “Your great nation is particularly dear to me,” he wrote.
Accompanying President Tinubu are top Catholic clerics and government officials, including the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected by the Conclave of Cardinals 27 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.
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