Obiano: How Pope Francis gifted me his white skullcap in 2020

Willie Obiano, former governor of Anambra state, has paid tribute to the late Pope Francis.

The pontiff died on Easter Monday after suffering a stroke. 

In a statement, Obiano described the late pope as a man of immense spiritual stature who remained grounded in his humanity.

Obiano, a knight commander of the pontifical order of St. Gregory the Great, shared his personal experience with the pope, recalling their encounter at the Vatican on January 15, 2020 when he was invested with the Papal Knighthood.

“It was a revelation,” Obiano said.

“You expect such a global spiritual leader to be distant, but he was so approachable, so real.”

Obiano recounted how he and his family stayed at Domus Sanctae Marthae, Saint Martha’s house, where Pope Francis had chosen to live instead of the apostolic palace.

Obiano said the most striking moment came when his son, Chukwudifu, excitedly took a selfie with the pope.

“Chukwudifu, then an adolescent, excitedly took a selfie with the Pope, a spontaneous gesture that could have been frowned upon in more formal settings. But Pope Francis, true to his character, smiled and indulged the boy,” Obiano said.

“That’s who he was. A pontiff who walked the talk, who preached simplicity and lived it.”

He added that the pope also presented the family with gifts, including rosaries for his wife and daughter.

Obiano received the pope’s skullcap, he recounted.

“After the investiture, Pope Francis presented the family with personal gifts — rosaries for my wife, Ebelechukwu; daughter, Dr. Gechi; and young Chukwudifu,” he said.

“For me, the Pope removed his white skullcap, the papal zucchetto, and handed it over.

“It was a gesture so rare, so deeply moving, that I encased it in a special glass display on our family altar. Not just to preserve it from dust, but to constantly remind us of the humility and grace of the man who gave it.”

Obiano described Pope Francis as “remarkably simple and approachable”, saying conversations with him felt “as though we had known each other for years”.

He noted that the pope’s legacy would be defined by his warmth, openness, and commitment to servant leadership, integrity, humility, and compassion.

The former governor said the pope’s insistence on dialogue, outreach to the marginalised, and reformist spirit, found expression not just in words but in how he related to everyone.

“In the pope, we saw the face of Christ. And in his memory, we must live out what he stood for,” he added.

Obiano offered prayers for the church to continue the work the pope began, remain a beacon for the poor and excluded, and reflect gospel values of love, mercy, and justice.