By Ihechi Enyinnaya
US political figure Valentina Gomez has criticised Pope Leo XIV over his failure to visit Nigeria amid persistent reports of killings of Christians, questioning why the pontiff could visit a mosque in Algeria and sit in a Ferrari but had yet to travel to Nigeria.
Gomez made the remarks following the Pope’s visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers in April and his reported appearance in Ferrari’s new electric Luce at Castel Gandolfo in May.
“The Pope has time to drive a Ferrari, visit a mosque, but he can’t visit Nigeria where his fellow Christians are being slaughtered by Muslims,” Gomez said.
Her comments have reignited debate over the Vatican’s response to violence against Christians in Nigeria, where attacks on churches, farming communities and rural settlements have repeatedly raised concerns about religious freedom and civilian safety.
Nigeria has for years featured prominently in reports on the persecution and killing of Christians. Open Doors, an international Christian persecution monitoring organisation, has consistently identified the country as one of the most dangerous places in the world for Christians, particularly in relation to killings linked to religious persecution.
Several communities across parts of the country have suffered deadly attacks, with residents displaced and places of worship destroyed. However, the violence has complex causes, including jihadist insurgency, communal conflicts, competition over land and resources, and criminal banditry. The motives behind individual attacks vary, and not all violence in Nigeria is religiously motivated.
Gomez argued that the Pope’s diplomatic statements condemning massacres were insufficient without a physical visit to Nigeria, suggesting that such a trip would demonstrate solidarity with Christian communities affected by the violence.
The Vatican has condemned massacres and repeatedly expressed concern about violence and insecurity affecting communities in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The controversy raises questions about whether a papal visit could draw greater international attention to Nigeria’s security crisis and provide comfort to victims and their families.
For communities affected by repeated attacks, the central concerns remain the protection of lives, accountability for perpetrators and the restoration of security in vulnerable areas.
Gomez’s criticism places Nigeria at the centre of a wider debate about the international response to the killing of Christians and the role religious leaders can play in drawing attention to the suffering of affected communities.