Representatives of eleven European countries expressed their solidarity with Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the leader of Iraq’s Chaldean Church, and Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, the Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq, as they work towards safeguarding the rights of Christians in the country, Vatican News informed.
A joint statement was issued by eleven European countries, along with the European Union, expressing their support for Iraq’s Patriarch Louis Raphael Sako and Archbishop Mitja Leskovar, the Apostolic Nuncio, to Iraq. Sako was attacked after he criticized the fact that three of the five seats allocated to the Christians in the Iraqi parliament were ceased by majority parties.
On Sunday evening, Patriarch Sako received a delegation of ambassadors and deputy ambassadors, including those from France, Italy, the Holy See, Spain, the UK, and the European Union.
Together, they issued a statement supporting the Patriarch, with the approval of the ambassadors of Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Sweden, and Hungary.
In the statement, the ambassadors to Iraq note that they had visited the Cardinal “to express our solidarity regarding the recent public attacks against his person and our concern for the Christians and other religious communities of Iraq.”
The statement was released in response to criticism faced by Patriarch Sako regarding his comments on political representation for Iraq’s Christian minority.
The European governments affirmed their solidarity with the Patriarch and recognized his efforts to protect the rights of Christians who have been in the region for thousands of years.
The statement emphasized the importance of unity among Iraq’s Christians and called for greater cooperation among Churches. It also reaffirmed the ambassadors’ commitment to promoting understanding, peaceful dialogue, and preserving Iraq’s religious diversity.
The Prime Minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan region had previously expressed support for the Patriarch, acknowledging the need to improve about Christians in the country.
Miroslava Salazar with Vatican News
