Tinubu heads to Rome for Pope Leo XIV’S Installation, cites “tensions and conflict”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will travel to Rome, Italy, on Saturday, at the invitation of Pope Leo XIV, to attend the solemn mass marking the beginning of his pontificate.
Accompanied by prominent Catholic leaders, President Tinubu will witness the installation of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican on Sunday, May 18th.
The invitation, extended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, emphasized the importance of President Tinubu’s presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.” Pope Leo XIV also expressed his personal connection to Nigeria, recalling his time serving in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.
The President’s 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; the Archbishop of Abuja, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama; the Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Martins; and the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected by the Conclave of Cardinals 27 days after the passing of his predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 21st.
President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20th.
