President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Rome, Italy, to attend the inaugural mass of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The solemn ceremony, scheduled to take place at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City on May 18, marks the beginning of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate as the 267th Bishop of Rome.
President Tinubu’s visit follows an official invitation from the Vatican, extended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of the Holy See. In his invitation, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the significance of President Tinubu’s presence at this historic event, describing Nigeria as a nation dear to him due to his past service in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.
Upon arrival at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport in Rome, President Tinubu was warmly received by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, alongside officials from the Vatican and the Nigerian Embassy. Accompanying the President are prominent Nigerian Catholic leaders, including 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 Diocese.