As the universal Church witnessed the solemn inauguration of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate on Sunday, May 18, 2025, Nigerian prelate Bishop Francis Obafemi Adesina gave a stirring homily marking the 5th Sunday of Easter, intertwining the Easter message with the dawn of a new papal era. Speaking at St. Sebastine Cathedral, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, during the Mass, Bishop Adesina reflected on the momentous transition in the Church, one shaped by the recent passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday, April 21, and the election of his successor, Pope Leo XIV, on May 9. He described the event as a “junction of Easter joy and new pontifical mission,” calling it a moment charged with spiritual significance.
The homily, themed “Love That Perseveres, Leadership That Sacrifices – Qualities of a True Disciple of Jesus,” offered deep scriptural insight into the qualities required of the new pope and all Christian faithful. Bishop Adesina anchored his reflections on John 13:34–35, where Jesus gives his disciples a new commandment: “Love one another; just as I have loved you.” Bishop Adesina emphasised that the kind of love Jesus speaks of is neither sentimental nor transactional. “It is life-giving,” he said, “a decision, a vocation.” He described it as love that washes feet, bears wounds, forgives enemies, and carries the cross without complaint. He urged the faithful to see in the new pope not a figure of worldly power, but a disciple taking up the sandals of Peter. “Pope Leo XIV does not step onto a throne of worldly power, but into the Shoes of the Fisherman,” he stated, “shoes that must become thin by walking the hard path of Gospel fidelity.”
In the second part of his homily, Bishop Adesina turned to the reading from Acts 21:1–5, focusing on the communal journey of the early Church. He noted how the early Christians, though aware of the dangers awaiting Paul in Jerusalem, responded not with fear or discouragement, but with solidarity in prayer. Even children joined in kneeling to pray with Paul. He drew a parallel between Paul’s journey and the mission that now lies ahead for Pope Leo XIV. In a world rife with “cultural pressures, moral confusion, and a thirst for truth,” the bishop called for a Church united not by perfect agreement, but by shared faith and prayerful support. “As Pope Leo XIV takes up the ministry of Peter,” he said, “we must be the Church that kneels with him, walks in communion, and bears witness together to Christ’s love.” Concluding his homily, Bishop Adesina returned to Christ’s words: “By this, all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
He issued a prayerful charge to the faithful to embody this love which is persevering, selfless and unifying in their daily lives. He offered a heartfelt prayer for Pope Leo XIV, invoking Mary, Mother of the Church, Saints Peter and Paul, asking that the new pontiff be granted holiness, humility, wisdom, courage, and divine protection. In a symbolic and spiritual gesture, Bishop Adesina’s homily extended a bridge from Rome to every corner of the global Church, including his own Nigerian diocese. As Pope Leo XIV begins his mission, the bishop’s words served as a pastoral reminder that the true sign of discipleship and leadership is not authority, but sacrificial love.
