US EditionCardinal Sako, Head of Chaldean Church in Iraq, Retires as War Engulfs the Region
Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako retires voluntarily after 13 years leading the Chaldean Catholic Church amid regional conflict and dwindling Christian population, now about 150,000 in Iraq.
- Pope Leo XIV accepted Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako's resignation as Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans under Canon 126 §2 on Tuesday, granting the 76-year-old's request to focus on prayer and writing.
- After turning 75 two years earlier, Sako discussed resignation with Pope Francis, who encouraged him to remain despite clashes with Iraqi officials and a campaign by Rayan al-Kildani.
- He led the Chaldean Church for 13 years, offering pastoral care in Mosul, Kirkuk, and Baghdad; Sako owns no house or car and counts 45 books among his 'true wealth.'
- For Iraq's Christian community, the timing creates urgent leadership questions as the move paves the way for a successor patriarch amid Iran-backed militias' dozens of attacks and Iraq's total population of more than 40 million.
- Sako hopes the next patriarch will embody renewal, openness, dialogue and a sense of humor, highlighting the Chaldean Catholic Church's role among the nearly two dozen Eastern Rite churches after Pope Francis' 2021 visit.
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18 Articles
Associated Press News
Cardinal Sako, head of Chaldean Church in Iraq, retires as war engulfs the region
The Pope has accepted the resignation of the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq. Cardinal Louis Sako's retirement paves the way for a transition in one of Iraq's oldest Christian churches.
Yesterday the Chaldean primate presented his resignation to Pope Leo. The decision officialized today in the note of the Vatican Press Office. In his message he recalls that he 'led the Chaldean Church in extremely difficult circumstances and among great challenges'. Also today the appointment in Pakistan of the Metropolitan of Lahore and the Apostolic Vicar of Quetta.
Pope Leo XIV accepted the surrender of the primate of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Cardinal Louis Raphaël Ier Sako has always been a fervent advocate of interreligious dialogue and peace in Iraq as well as in the Middle East.
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