President Bola Tinubu on Sunday participated in the inauguration mass to mark the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Tinubu arrived in Rome, Italy on Saturday to join other world leaders at the solemn mass.
Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, presided during the inauguration mass that was celebrated at St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican.
Greeting over 100,000 pilgrims, leaders from around the world, and the representatives of Christian denominations, Pope Leo invited the Church to walk together along the path of God’s love and remain united in one family.
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude for the prayerful and joyful support offered to him as he begins his Papal ministry, Pope Leo XIV recalled the intense emotions experienced over the past few weeks.
President Tinubu in a warm handshake with Pope Leo XIV pic.twitter.com/nQTnymdrNJ
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TNG reports the installation mass of the 267th Bishop of Rome and the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church comes after the Conclave of Cardinals elected Pope Leo XIV following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.
President Tinubu’s entourage included 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.
Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, is also in the president’s entourage. Tinubu’s entourage also included Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
President Tinubu will return to Abuja on Tuesday, May 20.