President Bola Tinubu has dispatched a high-powered delegation to attend Pope Francis’s funeral on Saturday, April 26, in Vatican City.
The five-member delegation led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio includes Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria Archbishop Lucius Ugorji; Archbishop Matthew Kukah of Sokoto Diocese and Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja Diocese.
The delegation is expected to deliver a condolence letter from President Tinubu to the Acting Head of the Vatican.
The letter conveys the President’s sympathy and that of the Nigerian people to the Catholic Church and the global Christian community.
Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church, passed away on Easter Monday, April 21, at the age of 88.
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He reportedly suffered a massive stroke that led to cardiac arrest at his Vatican residence, Domus Sanctae Marthae. He had celebrated Easter Sunday Mass a day before his death.
The late pontiff will be buried following a Requiem Mass at St. Peter’s Square, with interment planned at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, a site he cherished deeply.
In a message released earlier this week, President Tinubu described Pope Francis as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.” He said the Pope’s passing shortly after Easter symbolized a sacred return to his Maker.
The Vatican has announced that over 130 international delegations will be present at the funeral, including heads of state and global religious leaders, underlining Pope Francis’s profound influence during his decade-long papacy.
Nigeria’s presence at the event underscores its solidarity with the Catholic Church and its global community, particularly as millions of Nigerian Catholics join in mourning a leader whose message of peace, humility, and service resonated across faiths.
NAN
