President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has sent a high-powered delegation to Vatican City to attend the burial of His Holiness, Pope Francis, on Saturday, April 26.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

In a statement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information & Strategy,Bayo Onanuga, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio is to head the five-member delegation to Vatican City in Rome for the burial of Catholic Pontiff, Pope Francis.

Other members of the delegation are the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Archbishop Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Archbishop Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.

According to the statement,”Pope Francis, the revered head of the Roman Catholic Church, died on Monday, April 21, 2025, at 88, just a day after appearing for Easter Sunday celebrations at the Vatican.

“The delegation will formally deliver a letter conveying President Tinubu’s sympathy and condolences on Pope Francis’ passing to the Acting Head of the Vatican.

“On Monday, President Tinubu joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide to mourn the death of Pope Francis, who he described as “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”

In the condolence message, President Tinubu remarked that Pope Francis’s death, coming just after the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, is a sacred return to his Maker at a time of renewed hope for Christians.

By David Owei, Baylesa

Pastors have been advised to imbibed the culture of humility, love and sacrifice towards their members and the society in general.

This was handed down on Sunday by Apostle Godfrey Omodubor at the Faith Gospel Revival Deliverance Ministries Worldwide in Eteqwe, Yenagoa the bayelsa state capital during an award ceremony in his honour.

The award which was bestowed on him by the organizers of the most prestigious award, the Bayelsa Media Network Award (B.M.N.A) as the “Prophet of the Year 2025″ due to his outstanding love and care for the people.

Prophet Godfrey Omodubor said, he was honoured by the award and it is a call to do more for the society.

” I was not expecting it neither did I solicited for it, but as it please God to honour me this way, I must say am very happy and God will empower me to do more”.

” If God called you, he will back you up and give you all that you needed to succeed. It only required patience, endurance and hard work. God is not a magician neither is God a debtor, he paid everyone at the right time and in due season”.

He thanked the organizers for deeming it fit to recognize his little contributions to the society.

Presenting the award, the Project Manager, Bayelsa Media Network Award Mr. Blessing Ozegbe said, the award was as a result of Apostle Godfrey Omodubor contributions to the development of society in general.

The Project Manager described the man of God as a faithful and hardworking man, saying despite being a spiritual Father he still reachout to people within and outside his domain.

“We have been observing him from far and from investigation and testimonies of people around, his is truly a man of God full of humility and respect for both young and old alike. His character is worth emulating and I pray that other men of God will learn from him.

“This is an award that is not commonly given and because we couldn’t find a worthy person last year, this category was suspended and by the grace of God this year, we discovered this man of humility, full of love and sacrifice to be given the award “.

He encourage the man of God not relent in doing good to people and to see his calling as a genuine call from God.

The award ceremony was witnessed by his large congregation and visitors which also happened to be his birthday.

Following the death of Pope Francis on Monday, the Vatican has announced that Cardinal Kevin Farrell stepped in as the interim head of the Catholic Church, marking the beginning of the interregnum—the period between the death of a pope and the election of his successor.

Cardinal Kelvin Farrell, Acting Pope

As Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Farrell now oversees the day-to-day administration of the Vatican.

In this vital role, he is tasked with ensuring the continued functioning of the Apostolic See until the College of Cardinals convenes in a conclave to elect a new pope.

Cardinal Farrell, 77, is a seasoned Church leader with decades of experience. Born in Dublin, Ireland, and now a naturalized U.S. citizen, he previously served as the Bishop of Dallas before being appointed to key roles within the Vatican. He is also academically accomplished, holding a Master of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame.

His appointment as interim leader brings both continuity and stability to the global Church as preparations begin for the historic task of selecting a new pontiff.

Meanwhile contrary to  Pope Francis outlined wishes for a modest burial, the funeral for a Pope is no simple matter. It will likely take weeks to choose a new pontiff.

In life, Pope Francis shunned the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City in favor of a modest apartment.

In death, too, he disdained ornateness, directing the church to inter him in a single coffin instead of the traditional nested trio.

But a funeral for a pope — which is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. — is never a simple matter.

On Monday, within hours of the announcement that Francis had died at age 88, cardinals around the world began heading to the Vatican to bury the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and prepare for the task of choosing his successor.

Summoned to Rome by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals, they had their first meeting Tuesday morning at the synod hall.

The cardinals decided that Francis’ remains should be moved on Wednesday to St. Peter’s Basilica, where they will be on view before his funeral there, the Vatican said.

The entombment of a pope generally takes place four to six days after his death, with the funeral rites and the elaborate rituals attending them lasting about nine days.

If burying a Pope is complicated, choosing a new one is still more so — though the heart of the process takes place behind closed doors.

Cardinals under the age of 80 have a vote, meaning that 135 men will soon begin making a decision that will shape the future of a church with 1.3 billion adherents around the world.

The conclave, as it is called, begins sometime after the funeral rites are over.

Political and religious leaders from around the globe are expected to attend the funeral service, but they may little resemble those who were in power when the Argentine-born prelate took the papal throne in 2013.

Some will be leaders he confronted over their treatment of the downtrodden, especially migrants.

President Trump, who was one of them, says he plans to attend (adding another wrinkle for Vatican planners, given the size of the president’s entourage).

This is likely to be Mr. Trump’s first overseas trip since he assumed office.

Twelve years ago, the new pope could look at a world where at least some kindred spirits held positions of power.

But that world has changed with remarkable speed.

Progressive politicians have fallen from favor, authoritarian ones have taken their place, and, by the end of his time, Francis was a lonely voice.

Now, within the church itself, conservatives forces, never resigned to the liberalizing tendencies of their pope, see a chance for a reset.

The question is whether the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church will reflect a changing world — or try, like Francis, to redirect it. (NYT