*Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the weekend, arrives in Rome, Italy, to join other world leaders at the solemn mass, marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and new leader of the Roman Catholic Church

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Saturday, May 17 arrived in Rome, Italy, to join other world leaders at the solemn mass, marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome and new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

绿帽献妻 reports the installation mass for Pope Leo XIV holds Sunday, May 18.

On arrival at 6 p.m. local time at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport, in Rome, President Tinubu was received by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, officials from the Vatican City, and the Nigerian Embassy.

The Nigerian is in Rome to honour the new Pope’s invitation, conveyed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.

Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Saturday restated the Papal invitation underscored the need for President Tinubu’s physical presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”

Pope Leo XIV further said in the invitation: “Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s.”

The Presidency also noted on President Tinubu’s entourage include 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.

Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, is also in the president’s entourage, Onanuga said.