- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Pope Leo XIV over his emergence as the new Catholic Pontiff.
NPO Reported the appearance of white smokes from the Sistine Chapel’s chimney yesterday which signalled the emergence of the new Pope after hours of voting by Cardinals in the Conclave.
Cardinal Robert Prevost would emerge from the Vatican balcony as the new Pope to the excitement of Catholic faithfuls and tourists who had gathered at the St. Peter’s Square for the election.
Tinubu in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, felicitated with the Conclave for electing the American as the 267th Bishop of Rome.
The President expressed his delight with the leadership and congregants of the Catholic Church in Nigeria on the historic election of the new Pontiff whose message of faith and hope already resonates across the globe, with a reassurance from the scriptures of a more peaceful world.
Tinubu affirmed the valued relations shared between Nigeria and the Holy See over many years.
He also acknowledged the rewarding partnership with the Catholic Church in peacebuilding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and, more recently, the promotion of technology in advancing human capacity.
Tinubu, according to Onanuga, believes the election of Pope Leo XIV opens a new chapter in the history of the Catholic Church and the values of love, humanity and charity, particularly to the underprivileged that it has consistently projected.
The President prayed for God’s continuous guidance of the new leader of the Catholic Church and grant him good health and wisdom for him to reach the world with the message of peace and love.