Dr Kayode Fayemi, President Tinubu, Mr Peter Obi and others at the Vatican

Kayode Fayemi

My presence at the Inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday in Rome, alongside the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor Peter Obi, and countless Catholic faithful from across the globe, was both moving and memorable.

It brought back memories of my attendance at the inauguration of Pope Francis in 2013.

As someone born into the Catholic Church and who continues to hold my faith close, I found deep resonance in Pope Leo’s homily, particularly his call for the restoration of dignity to the poor, the weak, and the marginalised.

This message speaks to the very heart of what the modern Catholic Church should embody.

In delivering this message, Pope Leo XIV is already aligning his papacy with the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, whose 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum, laid the foundation for Catholic Social Teaching.

That vision of justice, dignity, and compassion remains as urgent today as it was over a century ago.

We pray that Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate will be one of moral courage, spiritual renewal, and transformative leadership for the universal Church and the world. Amen.

*Dr Kayode Fayemi, formet Ekiti State Governor, attended the inaugural mass of Pope LeoXIV at the Vatican