President Tinubu Arrives In Rome For Pope Leo XIV’s Inauguration

President Bola Tinubu landed in Rome, Italy, on Saturday ahead of the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, which is set to take place at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on Sunday.

The news of his arrival was shared by the Presidency via its official X handle at about 5:54 p.m on Saturday.

Tinubu is attending the ceremony at the invitation of Pope Leo XIV, who was elected 17 days after the passing of Pope Francis on April 21.

According to a statement released earlier by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President is accompanied by a delegation of notable Nigerian Catholic leaders and government officials.

Those in Tinubu’s entourage include the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja; Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos; and Bishop Mathew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Diocese.

Onanuga also noted that the invitation came from Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Leo XIV, who described the event as a significant moment for the global Catholic Church, especially at a time when many regions face ongoing unrest.

Pope Leo XIV, previously known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, will be officially installed as Pope on Sunday, May 18. He becomes the first Pope from the United States and is now the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Pope Leo also expressed fond memories of Nigeria, having worked at the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.