Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has expressed the hope that the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV as the Bishop of Rome will open 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.
President Tinubu said this in his congratulatory message to new pope and the Catholic Church worldwide over election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome on Thursday in a statement issued on his behalf by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.
“The President Tinubu rejoices with the leadership of 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.
“The President affirms the valued relations shared between Nigeria and the Holy See over many years while acknowledging the rewarding partnership with the Catholic Church in peacebuilding, education, healthcare, infrastructure, and, more recently, the promotion of technology in advancing human capacity.
“President Tinubu 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.
“President Tinubu prays that the Almighty God will continuously shed his light of glory over the new leader of the Catholic Church and grant him good health and wisdom so that he can reach the world with the message of peace and love,” Tinubu said in the statement.
Cardinal Robert Prevost, a U.S. citizen and native of Chicago was elected the first American pontiff in history on Thursday.
He has taken the name Pope Leo XIV.
The conclave, which voted for a new leader after Pope Francis’s passing, chose Prevost on the second day of deliberations.
The 69-year-old was elected pope at the Vatican City, Italy, on Thursday.
The pope has made his first address amidst a cheering crowd.
