President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Saturday depart Abuja for Rome, Italy, following a historic invitation from the newly elected head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV.
The Nigerian leader is expected to join global dignitaries and Catholic faithful at a solemn inaugural mass on Sunday, May 18, 2025, marking the official beginning of the pontificate of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV—the 267th Bishop of Rome—at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
The invitation, extended through 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, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, noted his connection to Nigeria, saying, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me, as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
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Joining President Tinubu on the trip are high-ranking Catholic leaders and government officials, including Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; 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 Sokoto.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on May 6, 2025, after the death of his predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 21. His installation is set to draw heads of state, religious leaders, and global influencers.
President Tinubu is expected back in Nigeria on Tuesday, May 20.