18th May, 2025
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Rome, Italy, to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, the new head of the Roman Catholic Church. The solemn mass, which officially marks the beginning of the 267th Pontificate, is scheduled for Sunday, May 18.
President Tinubu’s trip follows a personal invitation from the Vatican, delivered by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State, emphasizing the significance of his presence during a period the Church describes as “critical for global peace and unity.”
Upon arrival at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport around 6 pm local time, President Tinubu was received by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, alongside top Vatican and Nigerian Embassy officials.
The invitation from Pope Leo XIV also contained a personal connection to Nigeria. “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s,” he stated.
President Tinubu is accompanied by a delegation of prominent Nigerian Catholic leaders including Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, and Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos. Also in the delegation is Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.
A senior presidency source said the president’s presence at the event reflects his administration’s commitment to building bridges of peace and fostering interfaith harmony in a world currently faced with unrest.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
