#BreakingNews Catholic Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako of the Chaldeans in Iraq is Forced to Leave and Move to Kurdistan

The leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, has been forced to leave the patriarchal see in Baghdad and move to a monastery in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, via Istanbul.

Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako wrote a letter where he says that there was a "deliberate and humiliating campaign" by the Babylon Brigades, a pro-Iranian Christian militia, announcing that he is moving to a monastery in Iraqi Kurdistan. In it, he urged Christians to maintain their national identity, some held rallies in various cities to show support for him. According to experts, an attempt is underway to undermine the neutrality of the Christian community amidst Iraq’s ongoing political chaos.

 Iraq’s President Abdul Latif Rashid withdrew “the Republican Decree (147), an unprecedented [act] in Iraqi history”, Card Sako says in a statement in Arabic and English posted on the patriarchate's website.

This refers to, a few days ago, when the president  withdrew the "institutional recognition" of the office of the patriarch.

President Rashid repealed Decree 147 issued by his predecessor Jalal Talabani on 10 July 2023, which recognised the cardinal’s pontifical appointment as head of the Chaldean Church "in Iraq and in the world" and therefore "responsible for the assets of the Church".

 Sources say, Rayan al-Kildani (Rayan the Chaldean), a Christian leader who heads the Babylon Brigades, wants to seize Church assets,  Cardinal Sako writes in his statement.

"I made this decision so that, the protector of the constitution and the keeper of the beautiful Iraqi fabric achieves Babelyon’s desire to issue a decree appointing Rayan Salem Doda (Babelyon) as Custodian of the Endowments of the Church," reads the statement.

He goes on to explain that relatives of “the Chaldean” would be put in charge of the patriarchate.

"It is unfortunate that we in Iraq live in the midst of a wide network of self-interest, narrow factionalism, and hypocrisy that has produced unprecedented political, national and moral chaos, which is taking root by now more and more," Cardinal Sako writes.

Nonetheless, the cardinal urges Christians to maintain their faith in God and keep their national identity “until the "storm passes with the help of God."

The patriarch no longer has immunity as a religious leader and the right to represent the faithful, but the Babylon Brigades are represented in the Iraqi parliament.

According to the governor of Wasit, Muhammad Jamil al-Mayahi, Cardinal Sako "is a symbol of unity and brotherhood, and his departure from Baghdad is a loss for all of us."

Many Christians in the area support Cardinal Sako:
"The entire Christian community of Iraq is threatened, and Chaldean and Syriac Assyrians have united to affirm their support for the patriarch of the Chaldean Church," said several associations, such as the Assyrian Democratic Movement, the Popular Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Council, the House of Mesopotamia (Bet-Nahrain) Patriotic Union, the Sons of Mesopotamia (Bnay Nahrain) Party, and the Assyrian Patriotic Party.

Sources: Vatican News and Asia News IT - https://chaldeanpatriarchate.com/