Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako resigns as Chaldean Patriarch, ending 13 years leading Iraq’s largest Christian church amid political and social turmoil.
Newsroom (10/03/2026 Gaudium Press ) Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and the world, announced on Tuesday that he has submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV, concluding more than a decade of spiritual and public leadership during one of the most turbulent periods in the church’s modern history.
In a personal statement issued through the Patriarchate Media, Sako said that on the morning of March 9, 2026, he decided “in full freedom” to present his resignation to the pope. “He accepted it,” the cardinal confirmed, requesting that the decision be made public at noon the following day, March 10.
Sako noted that two years earlier, upon turning 75, he had already contemplated retirement and had even discussed the matter with the late Pope Francis. “He encouraged me to remain,” Sako recalled, adding that this week’s decision was entirely his own: “No one forced me to do this; rather, I requested the resignation of my own will.”
A Life of Service Under Strain
Reflecting on his 13 years as patriarch, Sako described his tenure as “years of loving pastoral care, follow-up, and growing up.” He emphasized his efforts to maintain unity within the Chaldean Church while defending the rights of both Iraqis and Christians amid persistent instability and sectarian pressures.
“I preserved the unity of its institutions and spared no effort in defending it,” he said. “I took positions and maintained presence both inside and outside the country.”
Expressing gratitude to God “for the grace of love,” the cardinal thanked his colleagues, clergy, and family, particularly those who accompanied him through his priesthood in Mosul, his episcopacy in Kirkuk, and his patriarchate in Baghdad. He also extended a heartfelt apology to anyone he “may have offended.”
Sako said he now intends to devote himself to “prayer, writing, and simple service,” adding that he hopes his successor will embody “solid theological culture, courage, and wisdom,” along with “renewal, openness, dialogue, and a sense of humour.”
Years of Turmoil and Political Tension
Cardinal Sako’s resignation follows a decade marked by both ecclesiastical challenges and political friction. In December 2025, he faced public criticism for using the word “normalization” during a Christmas celebration in Baghdad—a term highly sensitive in Iraq because of its association with outreach to Israel, which remains illegal under national law.
His relationship with Iraq’s political leadership has also been fraught. In 2023, President Abdul Latif Rashid revoked a presidential decree that had formally recognized Sako’s authority over Christian endowment affairs. Rashid justified the move on constitutional grounds, provoking backlash among Christian communities and prompting Sako to temporarily relocate from Baghdad to Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region.
The president’s decision followed a meeting with Rayan al-Kildani, leader of the Babylon Movement, a group aligned with the pro-Iran Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In response, Sako vacated the patriarchal residence, signaling a deepening rift between the church and the state. However, in late 2025, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani reinstated him as the legitimate Chaldean Patriarch, citing constitutional guarantees and a 2013 court ruling affirming his position.
A Testament of Humility
In his farewell message, the 77-year-old patriarch revealed the details of his modest personal estate—around forty million Iraqi dinars, five thousand U.S. dollars, and five thousand euros, accumulated over 52 years of service. He asserted that he owns “no house or car,” adding, “My true wealth is my devoted service and the 45 books and many articles I have published.”
Sako concluded his statement with a quiet expression of faith: “I am confident that God will take care of His Church.”
As the Vatican prepares to name his successor, the resignation of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako marks a turning point for Iraq’s largest Christian community, whose endurance continues to mirror the broader struggles and hopes of the nation’s religious minorities.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from rudaw.net and chaldeanpatriarchate.com
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