President Tinubu Set To Attend Pope Leo XIV’s Inauguration Ceremony

President Bola Tinubu is set to leave Abuja for Rome on Saturday following an invitation from Pope Leo XIV.

In a statement on Thursday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu will attend a special Mass with top Catholic officials to mark the official start of Pope Leo XIV’s leadership as the 267th Bishop of Rome.

The invitation, sent through Cardinal Pietro Parolin, highlighted the significance of the event for both the Catholic Church and a world currently facing numerous conflicts and tensions.

Joining the President on the trip will be Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji of Owerri (who also leads the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria), Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Archbishop Alfred Martins of Lagos, and Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Sokoto Diocese.

Pope Leo XIV, previously known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, will be officially installed on Sunday, May 18, during a ceremony at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

He becomes the first American Pope, elected 17 days after the death of Pope Francis on April 21, and is now head of the Catholic Church’s 1.4 billion members.

President Tinubu is scheduled to return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Vatican announced that the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV will be held on May 18 with a mass at St. Peter’s Square, officially marking the start of his papacy following the death of Pope Francis.