President Tinubu Arrives in Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s Installation Mass

President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rome, Italy, to attend the installation mass of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

The President arrived at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport on Saturday, where he was received by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and officials from Vatican City and the Nigerian Embassy.

President Tinubu’s visit is in response to an invitation from Pope Leo XIV, conveyed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.

The invitation emphasized the importance of the President’s physical presence at the installation mass, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 18.

The Pope noted that Nigeria is a country “particularly dear” to him, having worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.

The President is accompanied by a delegation of high-ranking Catholic clergy, including the Archbishop of Owerri and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, and Alfred Martins of Lagos. Also in the President’s entourage is Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese.

The installation mass of Pope Leo XIV marks a significant moment for the Catholic Church and the world, which is currently afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.

The Pope’s invitation to President Tinubu underscores the importance of Nigeria’s role in promoting peace and stability in the region.