FACT-CHECK: Did the Vatican Secretary of State Receive President Tinubu in Rome?
By: Sultan Usman
CLAIM:
President Bola Tinubu was received by the Vatican Secretary of State upon arrival in Rome on May 17, 2025.
VERDICT:
False! The man who received Tinubu is Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, not Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the actual Secretary of State of the Vatican.
FULL TEXT:
President Tinubu landed in Rome on Saturday ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration mass on Sunday. He shared pictures from his visit to the Vatican, stating that he received a warm welcome from Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State.
“Upon my arrival in Rome ahead of the solemn Mass marking the beginning of the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, I was warmly received and graciously hosted to dinner by His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State to the Vatican,” Tinubu wrote.
“Our dialogue was marked by a spirit of fraternity and a shared vision for the future, focusing on common values such as peace, mutual respect and global solidarity.
“I expressed Nigeria’s deep appreciation for the Vatican’s long standing goodwill and reaffirmed our commitment to promoting interfaith dialogue, tolerance and cooperation in an increasingly polarised world.”
VERIFICATION:
FactCheckAfrica used Google Reverse Image search to verify who was captured with Tinubu in his post. This search turned up multiple searches of Cardinal Kevin Farrell’s name as seen here, here and here.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell holds several key positions within the Catholic Church. He serves as the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, and also as the Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. Additionally, he is the President of both the Commission for Confidential Matters and the Committee for Investments, according to the Vatican Press.
As the Camerlengo, he was in charge of the Vatican’s operations when the late Pope Francis was hospitalized. His role also demands that he confirms the death of a pope, oversees the day-to-day administration of the church when there is no pope and prepares for the election of a new pope amongst others.
Also using Myaifactchecker.org to independently confirm the misidentification of the Secretary of State to the Vatican by generating a list of links to differentiate both personnel. Visual comparison of public photos of Cardinals Farrell and Parolin leave no room for doubt, using Wikipedia to confirm the picture of the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Cardinal Kevin Farell.
Also verifying through the College of Cardinal Reports. The Vatican Press states that Cardinal Pietro Parolin is the Secretary of State to the Vatican while Cardinal Kevin Farell is Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church
Cardinal Kevin Farrell is no small name in Vatican circles. He currently serves as: Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church (an extremely vital post, especially when a pope dies or resigns). But he is not the Secretary of State and confusing him for one raises red flags about the President’s communication team.
Farrell, originally Irish-American, was elevated to cardinal in 2016 by Pope Francis. He plays a major administrative and pastoral role, but he’s not in charge of diplomatic relations for the Vatican that’s firmly Cardinal Parolin’s turf.
Some also asked whether Farrell ever acted as a kind of “interim pope.” The answer? No, not in a spiritual or symbolic sense.
As Camerlengo, Farrell plays a critical administrative role when the papacy is vacant (Sede Vacante):He confirms the Pope’s death. He secures the Apostolic Palace. He manages the Church’s earthly affairs. He prepares for the conclave that elects the new pope. But he doesn’t act as pope
For a presidential media team to publicly misidentify a global religious figure of this stature raises concerns, not just about fact-checking, but about protocol, diplomacy, and the image of Nigeria on the world stage.
CONCLUSION:
In diplomacy, symbolism matters. Names matter. Titles matter. Cardinal Farrell is an important Vatican figure: President Tinubu was not received by the Secretary of State to the Vatican but by a Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church.
