President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to depart Abuja on Saturday for Rome, Italy, at the invitation of Pope Leo XIV, to attend the solemn mass marking the beginning of the new Pontiff’s leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. The inauguration is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

The Papal invitation, extended by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, emphasized the significance of President Tinubu’s presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”

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Pope Leo XIV, who was formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, also expressed a personal connection to Nigeria, stating, “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”

President Tinubu’s delegation will include several prominent Catholic leaders from Nigeria, demonstrating the strong ties between the nation and the Vatican.

Among those accompanying the President are the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop 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.

Pope Leo XIV was elected by the Conclave of Cardinals 27 days after the passing of his predecessor, Pope Francis, on April 21. His formal installation as the 267th Bishop of Rome is a pivotal event for the global Catholic community.

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