President Tinubu arrives in Rome for inauguration of Pope Leo XIV

President Bola Tinubu arrived in Rome on Saturday, May 17, to attend the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected head of the Roman Catholic Church and the 267th Bishop of Rome.

The solemn installation ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, and is expected to draw world leaders, dignitaries, and faithful from across the globe. The event marks a historic moment for the global Catholic community as Pope Leo XIV officially assumes leadership of the Church.

According to a statement from the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu touched down at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport at 6:00 p.m. local time. He was received by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, along with officials from Vatican City and the Nigerian Embassy.

The president’s visit follows a formal invitation extended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.

The invitation emphasized the importance of Tinubu’s presence at what was described as “a moment of particular significance for the Catholic Church and a world grappling with tension and conflict.”

Pope Leo XIV, in his message, recalled his time in Nigeria, stating, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me, as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”

President Tinubu is accompanied by prominent Nigerian Catholic leaders, including 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 Sokoto Diocese.