President Bola Tinubu met with Pope Leo XIV on Sunday at the Vatican, following the papal inauguration mass held at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Italy.
The brief interaction occurred shortly after Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was formally installed as the Bishop of Rome and the 267th leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Tinubu joined other global leaders at the solemn occasion, which marked the official beginning of the new pontificate.
In a video obtained by Channels Television, President Tinubu is seen shaking hands and briefly exchanging words with the newly installed pope before moving along. The Pope also greeted several dignitaries, including U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Pope Leo XIV, a 69-year-old American who previously served as a missionary in Peru, used his inaugural message to urge the global community to end the exploitation of nature and marginalisation of the poor. Though relatively unknown to many Catholics, the new pontiff has already signaled a leadership style grounded in social justice, peace, and traditional Catholic teachings.
Throughout the week leading to his installation, Pope Leo XIV held a series of meetings with clergy, diplomats, and journalists, during which he emphasized the need for peace in a world beset by conflict. He also affirmed the Church’s traditional values, including the sanctity of life and the family structure based on a union between a man and a woman.
Leo’s elevation has generated notable excitement in the United States, represented at the mass by Vice President Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both Catholics.
Elected pope on May 8 through a conclave that concluded in less than 24 hours, Leo XIV succeeds Pope Francis and inherits a Church navigating the challenges of modernity and the lingering effects of past abuse scandals.
During the inauguration ceremony steeped in tradition, the new pope visited the tomb of Saint Peter beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, received the pallium and the Fisherman’s Ring — symbols of papal authority — and processed into the square accompanied by cardinals and clergy.
Though no one-on-one private audiences were confirmed, Pope Leo XIV greeted the attending world leaders at the conclusion of the ceremony, marking a moment of global unity and reverence.
Edited by Nzubechukwu Eze
