Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako has returned to Iraq after almost a year away from his patriarchal see in Baghdad. His return came after the country’s prime minister signed a decree re-recognising the cardinal as patriarch of the Chaldean Church and responsible for the church’s property.
The cardinal had left Iraq and moved to a monastery in Iraqi Kurdistan in July 2023 following a crisis in diplomatic relations between the Patriarchate and Iraqi leaders.
Last year, the president of Iraq revoked the decree recognising his ecclesiastical position among Iraq’s institutions.
With his reinstatement, Cardinal Sako returned to the country and celebrated a Mass to express his gratitude. The local community as well as bishops, priests and nuns attended the Mass.
In Iraq, the majority of Catholics are from the Chaldean rite. The country has 96 Chaldean parishes with almost 650,000 members.