Iraqi PM appoints Cardinal Sako as Patriarch of the Chaldeans
Shafaq News / Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani issued a decree on Tuesday appointing Cardinal Louis Sako as the Patriarch of the Chaldeans in Iraq and worldwide.
The official decree stated, "Based on item (Fifth) of Article (First) of the Religious Denominations Care System No. (32) of 1981 and referring to the decision of the Federal Court of Appeal in Al-Rusafa/Karrada Personal Status Court No. 4/Guardianship Appointment 2013 on 2013/4/30, appointing the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church as a guardian of its endowments, we have decided to name Cardinal Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako as the Patriarch of the Chaldeans in Iraq and the world."
The decree further instructed, "Implementation of the endowment guardianship issued by the aforementioned court as he is appointed as the guardian of the Chaldean Church's endowments, and the relevant authorities should take necessary actions accordingly."
On July 8, 2023, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid issued a presidential decree revoking Decree No. (147) of 2013, which appointed Patriarch Louis Sako as the Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans in Iraq and the world, and as the guardian of its endowments.
In April 2024, Sako announced his return to his seat in the capital, Baghdad, following an invitation from Prime Minister Al-Sudani. Sako stated that he endured "nine months of suffering, pain, and anxiety" during his absence from the bishopric in Baghdad.
Earlier, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed the United State's concern over President Rashid's decision to revoke the decree appointing Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako as the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the world. Miller described the presidential decision as "a blow to religious freedom," indicating that the US had engaged directly with the Iraqi government to express its concerns.
Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako decided to withdraw from the patriarchal seat in Baghdad and relocate to a monastery in Erbil, Kurdistan, marking a new chapter of tension between him and President Rashid, as well as the leader of the Christian Babylon Movement, Rayan Al-Kildani.
