Nigeria’s President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has arrived in Rome for the inauguration of newly elected Leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV.
The President said, he was “warmly received and graciously hosted” to dinner by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State to the Vatican.
He said, “our dialogue was marked by a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for the future, focusing on common values such as peace, mutual respect, and global solidarity.”
Tinubu went ahead to express “Nigeria’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s longstanding goodwill and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance, and cooperation in an increasingly polarised world”, adding, “Nigeria remains a nation committed to building bridges of understanding across the world”.
Pope Leo XIV was elected as successor to Pope Francis who passed at the age of eighty-eight (88) on Easter Monday, 21 April, 2025.
President Tinubu (X/@officialABAT) wrote: “Upon my arrival in Rome ahead of the solemn Mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I was warmly received and graciously hosted to dinner by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State to the Vatican.
“Our dialogue was marked by a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for the future, focusing on common values such as peace, mutual respect, and global solidarity. I expressed Nigeria’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s longstanding goodwill and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance, and cooperation in an increasingly polarised world.
“As always, Nigeria remains a nation open to friendship, grounded in faith, and committed to building bridges of understanding across the world.”
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