By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Saturday, May 17, depart Abuja for Rome to attend the inaugural mass of the newly elected Pope Leo XIV, scheduled to hold at the historic St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City on Sunday, May 18.
The President is leading Nigeria’s delegation to the high-profile event, following an official invitation extended by the Holy See through the Vatican’s Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Pope’s invitation described Tinubu’s presence as “a moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
This visit marks a significant gesture of diplomatic and interfaith engagement between Nigeria and the Vatican, with the Nigerian leader joining other world leaders, dignitaries, and heads of state to witness the formal inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, the new spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Leo XIV, who served in Nigeria as part of the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s, expressed his fond memories of Nigeria and emphasized his desire for stronger ties with the West African nation.
President Tinubu’s delegation includes high-ranking government and religious figures such as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri; the Archbishop of Abuja, Ignatius Kaigama; the Archbishop of Lagos, Alfred Adewale Martins; and the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah.
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The papal inauguration is expected to draw global attention, not just as a religious milestone but also as a platform for reinforcing peace, tolerance, and cooperation amid ongoing global challenges, including religious extremism, migration crises, and socio-political unrest.
President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, May 20, after a series of bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the Vatican ceremony.
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This trip comes at a time when Nigeria continues to assert its diplomatic presence on the global stage, seeking multilateral partnerships to address domestic challenges and promote interfaith harmony.
