President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will this weekend travel to Rome at the invitation of the newly elected head of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, to attend the historic inaugural mass of the new Pontiff.
The solemn ceremony, which marks the formal beginning of the Papacy of Pope Leo XIV, will take place on Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City.
The event is expected to draw Heads of State, diplomats, religious leaders and dignitaries from around the world.
Tinubu will depart Abuja on Saturday, May 17, and is scheduled to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, May 20.
According to a statement on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, the invitation to President Tinubu was conveyed through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State.
In the message, Pope Leo XIV emphasised the symbolic significance of the Nigerian leader’s presence at “this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
The Pontiff added a personal note, recalling his time in Nigeria: “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”
Tinubu’s delegation includes a mix of government officials and senior Catholic clergy, underscoring Nigeria’s religious and diplomatic ties with the Vatican.
Among those accompanying the President are the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri, who is also the 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 Diocese.
The Vatican Conclave of Cardinals elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 27 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.
A seasoned theologian and Vatican administrator, the new Pope is expected to steer the Church through complex global challenges, including geopolitical tensions, migration, poverty, and religious extremism.
Nigeria, home to one of Africa’s largest Catholic populations, has long maintained close diplomatic relations with the Vatican.
Tinubu’s participation in the Papal inauguration not only affirms this relationship but also signals Nigeria’s engagement with global efforts for peace, dialogue, and religious harmony.
