May 19, (THEWILL) – Elated at being the President of Nigeria when a new Pope was inaugurated in Rome, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who led the Nigerian delegation to the August occasion held at the Italian capital on Sunday, described his invitation as historic and urged Nigerians to use their diversity for the country’s stability and rapid development.
His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV was inaugurated yesterday as the Catholic Church’s 267th Pope in an incense-laced rite heralding the start of a novel papacy.
Speaking on Sunday in Rome when he received members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, the President said, ” If we use our diversity, not for adversity but prosperity, the country’s hope is stability and progress. It is consistent in the true sense of unity in diversity, and I am greatly honoured. We have to continue to work on it – it’s a work in progress for the sake of our country and the continent as a whole.”
Responding, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, Archbishop of Owerri and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, thanked President Tinubu for facilitating their visits to the Vatican to bury the late Pope Francis and witness the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV.
He said the development signalled a new era of a more robust relationship between the President and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference.
“You are always there for us. Now that you have come to the Vatican, whenever we have our conference in Nigeria, we will also invite you and we look forward to interfacing with you just as you were able to do with the Holy Father,” he said.
The Catholic bishops were part of President Tinubu’s delegation to attend Pope Leo XIV’s installation mass on Sunday.
Other Bishops in the presidential entourage were Archbishops Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, Alfred Martins of Lagos, and Mathew Hassan Kukah, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, attended the meeting with the President.
There was a hilarious moment from the event which underlined the President’s statement, when Tinubu met Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi and former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, both Catholics and papal knights, who travelled to Rome to witnessed the epochal event.
According to presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, who posted about the encounter on his X account, Fayemi spotted the President seated with other dignitaries and urged Obi to join him in paying homage. Obi agreed.
Breaking the ice, Fayemi joked: “Mr. President, welcome to our church, and thank you for honouring the Pope with your presence.”
In his signature quick-witted style, President Tinubu replied, “I should be the one welcoming you and Peter. I’m the Head of the Nigerian Delegation.”
His remark reportedly drew laughter from Obi, who responded light-heartedly: “Yes, indeed. We are members of your delegation.”
THEWILL recalls that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Rome, Italy, on Saturday 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 the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Prior to his trip, President Tinubu received the new Pope’s invitation, conveyed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State. The papal invitation underscored the need for the President’s physical presence “at this moment of particular importance for the Catholic Church and the world afflicted by many tensions and conflicts.”
“Your great nation is particularly dear to me as I worked in the Apostolic Nunciature in Lagos during the 1980s,” Pope Leo XIV further said in the invitation.
President Tinubu was received at the Mario De Bernardo Military Airport by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and officials from Vatican City and the Nigerian Embassy after the plane touched down at 6 pm local time.
At the Papal mass, a multitude of 200,000 faithful, stretched behind cardinals, bishops, royals, representatives of other faiths and dignitaries led by Italy’s prime minister, Georgia Meloni and President, Sergio Mattarella, Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, US Vice President, JD Vance, and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio Vice, Peruvian President, Dina Boluarte, as well as Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were among several world leaders who attended the inaugural mass at St. Peter’s Square.
The ceremony began at 10 a.m. local time. It included the Mass and the papal rituals bestowing the Fisherman’s Ring, the imposition of the pallium and an homage by the cardinals.
In his homily, Pope Leo XIV urged rejection of hatred and division, and disavowed “an economic paradigm that exploits the Earth’s resources and marginalises the poorest.”
He echoed the need for “unity”, but suggested it must also “co-exist” with another word embraced by church liberals: “diversity”.
He called on the faithful to aid the marginalised and poor and declared that religion and faith should not be imposed on others “by force.”
In words that reverberated through St. Peter’s Square, Leo appeared to reach out to church conservatives, while also repeatedly invoking, and echoing, his predecessor Pope Francis, in calling for the respect of cultural and religious diversity and consideration for the marginalised.
Expressing his heartfelt gratitude for the prayerful and joyful support offered to him as he begins his pastoral ministry as Pope, Leo XIV recalled the intense emotions experienced over these past few weeks.
The Pope also thanked everyone for accompanying in prayer the College of Cardinals meeting in conclave to elect the Successor of Peter as they looked at how to continue the mission of preaching the Gospel with a shepherd able to address today’s challenges.
He said they felt “the working of the Holy Spirit, who was able to bring us into harmony, like musical instruments, so that our heartstrings could vibrate in a single melody.”
“I was chosen, without any merit of my own, and now, with fear and trembling,” said Pope Leo, “I come to you as a brother, who desires to be the servant of your faith and your joy, walking with you on the path of God’s love, for he wants us all to be united in one family, “he said.
THEWILL had reported that 133 cardinals under the vaulted ceilings of the Sistine Chapel, on 8th May, elected Cardinal Provost as the 267th leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, in the third ballot. Prevost, originally from Chicago, succeeds Pope Francis, who passed away on Easter Monday, at 88 from a stroke.
Born on September 14, 1955 in Chicago (Illinois, United States), Prevost was the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Archbishop-Bishop emeritus of Chicago.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
