Final Statement of the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church Rome, October 16–19, 2026

By Chaldean Patriarchate

Foto Patriarcato caldeo

Rome, October 16–19, 2026

To our beloved Chaldean faithful, sons and daughters of the Church, in our homeland and throughout the diaspora,

May the peace and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

1. Ecclesial Communion and the Joy of Gathering Together

We, the bishops of the Chaldean Church, gathered in Rome from October 16 to 19, 2026, under the presidency of His Beatitude Patriarch Mar Polis III Nona, to pray together and reflect upon the life and mission of our Church in a spirit of fraternal communion and pastoral responsibility.

We brought to the Synod the joys and concerns of our dioceses, the hopes of our families and young people, and the challenges faced by our priests and consecrated persons, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit so that our pastoral ministry might be renewed in fidelity to the Gospel and in closeness to you.

Our gathering took place in an atmosphere of joy, following the Holy Mass Celebrating Ecclesial Communion, held in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Wednesday, October 14, and the Divine Liturgy according to our Chaldean Rite, presided over by His Beatitude our Patriarch at St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday, October 15. Both celebrations brought together bishops, priests, and faithful from around the world.

Together, we experienced the beauty of our Church united around the Lord’s altar, offering its prayers and sacred hymns of the Eastern liturgical tradition in the heart of the Catholic Church.

With gratitude to all who shared in these joyful celebrations, we renew our filial love for His Holiness Pope Leo XIV and assure him of our continued prayers. We thank God for his discharge from the hospital and pray for his complete recovery, lasting good health, and renewed strength as he continues his apostolic ministry.

2. Remembering Our Brother Archbishop Sabri Anar in the Hope of the Resurrection

During the Synod, we received with profound sorrow the news that our beloved brother, Archbishop Sabri Anar, Chaldean Archbishop of Diyarbakir, Turkey, was called to eternal rest on the morning of Saturday, October 17, 2026, in France, following a period of illness.

As we mourn the loss of a brother and fellow servant in ministry, we remember with gratitude his priestly service in France and his episcopal ministry in Turkey, and we offer our prayers for the repose of his soul.

We unite in love and solidarity with his family, the priests and faithful of his archdiocese, and all his loved ones. We also express our gratitude to all who cared for him during his illness, praying that the Risen Christ may welcome him into His light and peace and grant everyone the consolation of faith and the hope of the Resurrection.

3. Organizing Church Life and Renewing Pastoral Ministry

Guided by our shared responsibility for the life and mission of the Church, we reflected on its pastoral, spiritual, and administrative affairs. The Synod approved the establishment of its committees and appointed their chairpersons to strengthen collaboration, coordinate efforts, and ensure effective follow-up. Working in cooperation with the dioceses and drawing upon the experience of priests, consecrated persons, and the faithful, these committees will contribute to the preparation of studies and initiatives that respond to the needs of our Church.

We also addressed the role of the Permanent Synod and the completion of its canonical membership, as well as the review of ecclesiastical regulations and particular law. Furthermore, we examined the draft Liturgical Directory, with a view to further study and consultation with priests and deacons throughout the dioceses.

We devoted particular attention to our Chaldean liturgical heritage, seeking to preserve the sacredness, fidelity, and beauty of our liturgical celebrations, while deepening the understanding of the liturgy and encouraging conscious participation in prayer and the sacraments, so that they may bear fruit in renewed Christian life and growth in love and reconciliation.

We also discussed the circumstances of our dioceses and their need for shepherds, along with matters concerning episcopal ministry, retirement, and the procedures for the selection of bishops. With gratitude, we recalled the dedication of our brother bishops and their many years of service, affirming that pastoral ministry is a sacred responsibility that draws its strength from a personal relationship with Christ and is lived out through humility, attentive listening, and closeness to the people.

4. Formation and Pastoral Accompaniment of Our Communities in the Homeland and the Diaspora

The life of our priests and their human, spiritual, theological, and pastoral formation were central to our discussions, alongside matters concerning the Patriarchal Seminary and the accompaniment of those discerning a vocation to the priesthood.

We express our gratitude to our priests for their tireless daily service and encourage them to remain steadfast in prayer, deepen their priestly fraternity, and devote themselves to ongoing formation. We also express our appreciation to our religious orders and consecrated men and women for their witness and service, and invite families and parishes to nurture vocations and accompany those who are called through prayer.

To our families and young people, we extend a message of paternal love: your concerns about employment, stability, education, and the future remain close to our hearts and are ever present in our prayers and pastoral responsibility. We desire our parishes to be places of prayer, attentive listening, and pastoral accompaniment, where everyone finds a place and where young people actively contribute to parish life through their talents, questions, and initiatives. We encourage families to cultivate a spirit of prayer, dialogue, and forgiveness within their homes.

We also addressed the needs of our communities throughout the diaspora, particularly in Europe, and the importance of organizing their pastoral care in cooperation with the local Churches. We encourage our faithful abroad to preserve their faith, heritage, language, and bonds with their Mother Church, while actively participating in the societies in which they live.

5. Solidarity and the Service of Peace

In discussing ways to strengthen the stability of our dioceses and develop their projects, we affirmed that the Church’s resources are a sacred trust to be managed with wisdom and transparency, and directed toward serving the faithful, caring for those in need, and supporting education, formation, and pastoral ministry.

We express our gratitude to all who support this mission through their work, expertise, and generosity, and call for greater solidarity among our dioceses in the homeland and throughout the diaspora, with particular attention to communities facing the greatest needs.

From Rome, we offer our prayers for Iraq and all the countries where our faithful live, and for peace throughout the Middle East and the world. We call for the rejection of violence, respect for human dignity and rights, and the promotion of citizenship and peaceful coexistence.

We urge our communities to preserve their unity through sincere dialogue and mutual respect, ensuring that our words and actions, both in personal encounters and on social media, contribute to building bridges and fostering reconciliation.

We return to our dioceses committed to following up on the matters we have discussed and the decisions we have made, relying on your prayers and cooperation. We entrust our Church to the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and seek the intercession of Saints Mar Thomas, Mar Addai, and Mar Mari, so that together we may continue our journey, faithful to the Gospel and steadfast in love and hope.

Archbishop Felix Saeed Shabi
Secretary – General of the Chaldean Synod Rome, October 19, 2026

Polis III: «I cristiani d’Oriente non si arrendono all’odio»

By Tempi

Giancarlo Giojelli

«La nostra forza è una Presenza. Ed è viva nell’unità della Chiesa con il Papa».
Parla senza timori né enfasi Polis III, eletto ad aprile patriarca della Chiesa caldea e riconosciuto a ottobre da Roma nella comunione ecclesiale.
L’annuncio è risuonato in una Piazza San Pietro baciata dal sole per bocca del cardinale Luis Antonio Tagle, decano del Sacro Collegio, che ha letto il messaggio di un papa Leone costretto in ospedale.
Una solenne liturgia davanti a 112 tra cardinali, patriarchi e vescovi giunti da ogni angolo del globo per confrontarsi sulla famiglia, a dieci anni dall’uscita della Amoris Laetitia. Non si tratta di un semplice atto canonico o di un riconoscimento formale. È il culmine del cammino di un uomo la cui vicenda personale s’intreccia indissolubilmente con quella della sua comunità: una parabola che si fa storia di tutti, simbolo del martirio, del coraggio e della fede incrollabile dei cristiani d’Oriente, oltre che un monito esplicito per le Chiese d’Occidente.

Nella storia di Sua Beatitudine Amel Shamon Nona — questo il suo nome al secolo prima di assumere il nome patriarcale di Polis III — si condensa il lungo travaglio vissuto nei luoghi in cui il cristianesimo ha mosso i suoi primi passi. 

Una scia di persecuzioni resa ancora più amara dall’indifferenza e dal silenzio del mondo “libero”. 

Chiese distrutte, ma c’erano le persone

Consacrato arcivescovo di Mosul nel novembre del 2009, a soli 43 anni, Nona ereditava una cattedra segnata dal sangue: il suo predecessore, Paul Faraj Rahho, era stato rapito e ucciso un anno prima dai radicali islamici. A quel tempo la comunità caldea legata a Roma contava cinquantamila anime. Erano i “nashri”, i nazareni, bollati con la lettera Nu dell’alfabeto arabo e presi di mira dall’Isis. Per quattro anni l’arcivescovo ha guidato la resistenza umana e spirituale del suo popolo, mentre molti, travolti dal terrore, sceglievano la via dell’esilio verso l’Europa, l’America e l’Oceania. 

Poi, nella notte tra il 9 e il 10 giugno 2014, la morsa dello Stato Islamico si è serrata definitivamente su Mosul: conversioni forzate, la tassa di sottomissione o la morte.

I superstiti si sono dati alla fuga e il loro pastore li ha seguiti a piedi, trovando riparo a Erbil, nel Kurdistan iracheno.
«La mia diocesi era svanita, le chiese distrutte o confiscate — racconta —. Ma le persone, quelle erano rimaste».

Dopo un periodo trascorso a Sydney per decisione di papa Francesco, è infine rientrato a Baghdad. Oggi diverse strutture sacre di Mosul sono state ricostruite, ma i fedeli tornati si contano sulle dita di una mano: non più di cinquanta famiglie.
La Chiesa caldea — fondata secondo la tradizione nel I secolo dall’apostolo Tommaso, che portò il Vangelo fino al cuore dell’Asia — conta ormai appena 600 mila fedeli nel mondo, e meno della metà risiede in Mesopotamia.
«La diaspora, tuttavia, ci rende presenti ovunque — osserva il Patriarca — e la nostra ancora resta la comunione con la sede di Pietro»

Una presenza millenaria
Attorno a noi, durante il colloquio, si stringe una folla festosa di fedeli caldei arrivati da tutta Europa per riabbracciare la loro guida.
«Dobbiamo pregare per il Papa», dice loro Polis. «È la nostra colonna ed è triste saperlo soffrente. Ma da cristiani crediamo che Gesù sia qui e ora: uniamoci nella preghiera con il mondo intero».
Glielo faccio notare: ci sono ancora tante regioni della Terra in cui i cristiani vengono perseguitati, e il Pontefice non smette di chiedere preghiere per il Medio Oriente.
«È così», risponde. «Eppure non tutti percepiscono la gravità della situazione. La nostra è una presenza millenaria ed è proprio per questo che siamo nel mirino del fanatismo. Ma siamo vivi: lavoriamo, aiutiamo i poveri, annunciamo il Regno dei Cieli con l’appoggio della Chiesa universale. Siamo un corpo solo, anche se la mentalità secolare spinge per dividerci. Ogni giorno è una nuova trincea».

Un gruppo di bambini gli si avvicina e lo stringe in un abbraccio spontaneo. Il Patriarca sorride, poi riprende: «Dobbiamo comprendere perché la Chiesa cattolica viene attaccata: perché è unita, difende la vita, protegge le famiglie e lavora per la pace. Resiste e dice no alle chiacchiere vuote del mondo. Noi siamo orgogliosi delle nostre radici millenarie».

Puntare sull’educazione

Polis Nona conosce bene il volto atroce dei conflitti. «Il Medio Oriente è da sempre terra di guerre, ambita per via del petrolio. Costruire ed educare alla pace in mezzo a tanta tensione è un’impresa ardua. Il fondamentalismo si nutre di ignoranza per imporre la sharia; per essere davvero libere, invece, le persone hanno bisogno di cultura, di orizzonti che vadano oltre il dogmatismo. È per questo che puntiamo tantissimo sulle scuole: ogni parrocchia ha un asilo e un istituto, e al Nord abbiamo persino università cattoliche».

Nel Paese, spiega Nona, «la situazione ha fatto qualche passo avanti, ma muoversi resta difficile». La paura più grande? «Un nuovo conflitto tra Iran e Stati Uniti». Guarda i connazionali che lo circondano con affetto: sa bene che un’ulteriore escalation finirebbe per spazzare via ciò che resta dei cristiani d’Oriente.

Iniziato a Roma il sinodo della chiesa caldea: dati

By Baghdadhope* - Patriarcato caldeo

E' iniziato ieri a Roma il sinodo della chiesa caldea presieduto dal patriarca Paulos III Nona che terminerà il giorno 19 ottobre. 

Ospite della prima giornata è stato il Cardinale Claudio Gugerotti, Prefetto del Dicastero per le Chiese Orientali presso la Santa Sede. 

L'incontro, come si legge sul sito del patriarcato caldeo: " ha offerto l'opportunità di riaffermare la profonda comunione ecclesiale che unisce le Chiese cattoliche nell'unica fede, preservando al contempo la specificità di ciascuna Chiesa, le sue tradizioni e il suo patrimonio spirituale e liturgico." 

Di seguito la lista in ordine alfabetico dei vescovi partecipanti al sinodo:

Foto Patriarcato caldeo

1. Al Naufali  Habib 

Arcivescovo di Bassora ed Amministratore Apostolico per i fedeli calde in Europa. 

2. Audo  Antoine S.I 

 Vescovo di Aleppo 

3. Jarjis Robert Saeed

Vescovo del Canada

4. Kalabat Francis
Vescovo USA est

5. Kassarji Michael
Vescovo di Beirut

6. Khoshaba Gargees Imad
Arcivescovo di Tehran ed Amministratore Patriarcale di Urmia (Iran)

7. Meram Thomas

Arcivescovo emerito

8. Mirkis, Yousif Thomas  

Arcivescovo di Kirkuk

9. Moussa Najib Mikhael O.P.
Arcivescovo di Mosul

10. Nona Emil S.
Patriarca della chiesa caldea

11. Shaba Azad Sabri
Vescovo di Dohuk

12. Shabi Felix (Saeed) Dawood
Vescovo di Zakho ed Amministratore patriarcale diocesi di Alqosh

13. Sirop Saad
Amministratore apostolico diocesi USA ovest

14 Soro Bawai
Vescovo emerito

15. Warda Bashar M.
Arcivescovo di Erbil

16. Yaldo Basel
Vescovo ausiliare di Baghdad e titolare di Bethzabda

Con la scomparsa di Monsignor Sabri Anar, vescovo caldeo della Turchia le altre sedi vescovili vacanti o in amministrazione patriarcale sono:

* Australia e Nuova Zelanda, dopo la nomina del suo vescovo Emile S. Nona a nuovo patriarca: Paulos III Nona

* Alqosh (Iraq) dopo la scomparsa nel 2025 di Monsignor Thabet Mekko ed affidata in amministrazione patriarcale a Monsignor Shabi Felix Dawwod, vescovo di Zakho 
* USA Ovest, Diocesi di San Pietro Apostolo, dal 10 marzo 2026 affidata in amministrazione patriarcale a Monsignor Saad Sirop dopo il fermo per malversazione da parte delle autorità americane del vescovo titolare Monsignor Emmanuel Shaleta.

* Urmia (Iran) affidata in amministrazione patriarcale al vescovo di Tehran, Khoshaba Gargees Imad dopo le dimissioni per raggiunti limiti di età da parte del vescovo titolare Monsignor Thomas Meram. 

Dei vescovi presenti a Roma ed ancora in attività Monsignor Antoine Audo, vescovo di Aleppo, in Siria, nato nel 1946 e Monsignor Mirkis Yousif Thomas. Arcivescovo di Kirkuk, nato nel 1949, hanno superato i 75 anni di età. 

Deceduto a Parigi Monsignor Sabri Anar, vescovo caldeo della Turchia

By Baghdadhope* -  Patriarcato caldeo

Si è spento a Parigi dove era ricoverato in ospedale Monsignor Sabri Anar, arcivescovo caldeo di Diarbekir, (Amida) in Turchia.  

S.E. Sabri Anar era nato il 1° gennaio 1966 a Uludere in Turchia.

Dopo aver studiato nel Seminario Minore dei Cappuccini a Istanbul e successivamente, nel 1985, essere entrato nel Seminario Patriarcale Caldeo a Baghdad, il 10 novembre 1990 aveva ricevuto l’ordinazione sacerdotale a Parigi, dove iniziò il suo servizio pastorale per la comunità caldea della regione dell’Île de France.

Dal 1990 al 2006 è stato Vicario Parrocchiale di St. Thomas Apôtre a Sarcelles, poi parroco della medesima chiesa e successivamente responsabile della chiesa di St. Jean Apôtre ad Arnouville.

Nell’anno 2017 era stato nominato Corepiscopo nella chiesa caldea ed a luglio del 2023 era stato ordinato arcivescovo di Diarbekir (Amida) in Turchia dall'allora patriarca ed ora Emerito Cardinale Louis Sako nella cattedrale del Santo Spirito di Istanbul.

Ai primi di ottobre del 2026 il patriarca della chiesa caldea, Mar Paulos III Nona, aveva fatto visita in ospedale a Parigi a Monsignor Anar le cui condizioni di salute erano nel frattempo peggiorate.   

Ecclesial Communion: Entering into the Life of the Trinity and Being Incorporated into the Body of Christ His Beatitude Mar Polis III Nona, St. Peter’s Basilica – Rome, 15 October 2026

By Chaldean Patriarchate

His Beatitude Mar Polis III Nona, St. Peter’s Basilica – 

Rome, 15 October 2026 

 Beloved in the Lord, 

The first thing that must be said about the Church is that she cannot be defined from the outside. Any definition that regards her as an organized institution (ܓܘܫܡܐ ܡܪܘܬܒܐ), a cultural heritage (ܣܦܝܬܐ ܡܪܕܘܬܢܝܬܐ), or an inherited denominational affiliation (ܚܦܝܩܘܬܐ ܐܘܡܬܐܢܝܬܐ) merely describes her visible exterior while failing to grasp her innermost essence. 

The Church—in Chaldean, “ܥܕܬܐ,” meaning the community that is called and gathered—is not an assembly that human beings have chosen to form for themselves, but a community brought into being by a divine calling that precedes the will of those who are called. 

The Apostles did not gather together and establish a Church; rather, Christ called them, and they became the Church. This distinction is not merely a matter of terminology; it is fundamental to theology as a whole. From this perspective, communion—“ܫܘܬܦܘܬܐ”—is neither a fruit of ecclesial life nor a social activity added to worship.

 Rather, it constitutes the very essence of the Church’s being (ܐܝܼܬܼܘܬܼܵܐ). The Church is communion before she is an institution (ܫܘܼܬܼܐܵܣܵܐ), a mystery before she is an order (ܕܘܼܒܵܪܵܐ), and a living Body before she is a structure of stone. 

Ecclesial communion does not arise merely from the human need to gather together, but from a deeper divine origin. 

The primary source of every authentic ecclesial communion is the communion of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

This means that the Church does not invent communion; rather, she receives it. She does not establish unity apart from God, but enters into the unity that God lives within Himself. Here the depth of the Eastern tradition becomes evident: communion is not merely closeness between persons, but participation in a life bestowed from above, a life that makes the many one without abolishing their differences. 

Thus, ecclesial communion is not the opposite of diversity (ܫܘܚܠܦܹܐ), but its redeemed form. This is consistent with the contemporary Chaldean emphasis that “walking together” means a diversity of charisms within unity, rather than their dissolution into outward uniformity. 

In this light, the question is no longer: How do we preserve communion?

Rather, it becomes: How do we allow the mystery of Christ to take flesh in our ecclesial relationships?

 For communion is then not a matter of administrative management (ܡܕܒܪܢܘܬܐ), but a continuous manifestation of Christ’s presence in His Body. 

Christian tradition reveals that the Church is understood simultaneously as the People of God, the Body of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. These expressions are not merely homiletic metaphors, but ecclesiological keys that explain the nature of communion. 

Without communion with God, the Church becomes an institution. Without communion among her members, speaking about God becomes an abstraction (ܣܘܼܪܵܩܵܐ). 

And without sacramental communion, the Church is weakened in her innermost being and reduced to a cultural or social identity. Therefore, the deepest crisis affecting ecclesial communion is not a difference of opinions, but the weakening of sacramental consciousness. 

When the awareness that we partake of one table, are sealed by one Spirit, and belong to one Lord grows weak, the Church begins to disintegrate from within, even if her external structure remains intact. In the depth of faith, ecclesial communion does not mean merely being able to live together in outward harmony, but bearing one another in Christ. 

True communion means that the joy of another becomes a matter of personal concern to me, that another’s wound becomes a wound felt in my own heart, and that another’s fall becomes a call to prayer and restoration rather than judgment and exclusion. 

The believer reaches maturity not merely by acquiring much knowledge, but by becoming capable of living “with” and “for” others, rather than “in opposition to” and “against” them. 

Chaldean studies affirm that the Church of the East has transmitted the Gospel with profound depth through her biblical and patristic theology, her authentic liturgy, and her spirituality. 

This means that communion in the Chaldean tradition cannot be understood apart from the liturgy, because the liturgy is the place where the Church learns how to be the Church. In the liturgy, the believer does not stand before God as an isolated individual, but as a member of a community called to offering, thanksgiving, and praise.

There, the believer learns that his voice finds its fullness only together with the voices of others, that his prayer becomes part of the prayer of the whole Body, and that approaching the altar presupposes renouncing a life of self-sufficient individualism.

Hence, the renewal of ecclesial communion cannot be achieved through emotional slogans alone, but through a serious return to living the liturgy as a formation in unity and in advancing together toward God. 

Beloved, 

The Chaldean Church of the East, with her heritage, her liturgy, her wounds, and her hope, is called today to bear witness anew to this profound truth: communion does not mean simply being together, but becoming one in Christ, without anyone losing their distinct identity and without anyone being excluded from love.

 Let us, therefore, seek not an easy and superficial communion, but a communion that is crucified and risen; a communion that springs from the altar, is purified through repentance, is nourished by the Eucharist, and is manifested in hearts that know how to forgive, to bear one another, and to wait.

Only then will we have done more than speak about communion; we will have begun to live it.

FM Fuad Hussein Attends Mass For The Ecclesiastical Communion Of The New Chaldean Patriarch

By Iraqi government - Minister of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Fuad Hussein, accompanied by his delegation, attended the Holy Mass held on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, marking the declaration of ecclesiastical communion with His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona, the new Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the world. 

 The Mass was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Dean of the College of Cardinals, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.  The occasion coincided with the tenth anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). 

The Foreign Minister had been scheduled to meet His Holiness Pope Leo XIV; however, the meeting could not take place due to the Pope’s unexpected hospitalisation. 

 The Foreign Minister’s participation reflects the Republic of Iraq’s commitment to strengthening its relations with the Holy See, supporting the values of peace and interfaith dialogue, and consolidating the principles of peaceful coexistence, in a manner that reflects the religious and cultural diversity that characterises Iraqi society. 

 Following the conclusion of the Mass, the Foreign Minister met with members of the Iraqi Chaldean community who had travelled from Iraq and various countries around the world. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation for their participation in this religious occasion and underscored the importance of maintaining the bonds that connect members of the community with their homeland, Iraq.

Chiese orientali: card. Sako (patriarca emerito caldeo), ripensare il rito della comunione ecclesiale dei nuovi patriarchi con Roma

By AgenSIR - Pagina FB Cardinale Louis Sako

“Ripensare alcune prassi non significa mettere in discussione la comunione con la Sede di Roma, ma cercare forme più coerenti con la tradizione orientale e con la specificità delle Chiese patriarcali”. 

È la riflessione, affidata ai social, del card. Louis Raphael Sako, patriarca emerito caldeo di Baghdad, dedicata al rapporto tra le Chiese orientali cattoliche e il vescovo di Roma. Dopo un augurio di pronta guarigione a Papa Leone XIV, il porporato si interroga sull’opportunità di mantenere una celebrazione specifica per esprimere la comunione ecclesiale tra un nuovo patriarca orientale cattolico e la Santa Sede. Pur riconoscendo che il diritto canonico orientale prevede la richiesta della comunione ecclesiale da parte del patriarca eletto, Mar Sako osserva che le Chiese orientali cattoliche sono già in piena comunione con il Papa e si domanda “quale sia il significato teologico ed ecclesiologico ulteriore di tale rito”. Il cardinale rivela inoltre di aver scritto al Pontefice il 29 aprile 2026 proponendo di “sostituire questa celebrazione con una bolla pontificia che riconosca ufficialmente il nuovo patriarca e ne confermi il ministero”. A sostegno della sua tesi richiama il caso di Yohannan Sulaqa, considerato il primo patriarca della Chiesa cattolica caldea, entrato in comunione con Roma nel 1553 e riconosciuto dal Papa come patriarca della Chiesa d’Oriente, sottolineando tuttavia come quella situazione differisse dall’attuale condizione delle Chiese orientali cattoliche, già unite alla Sede apostolica. Nella riflessione trova spazio anche il tema del pallio, anticamente conferito ad alcuni patriarchi orientali.

Il card. Sako ricorda che questa prassi venne superata con il motu proprio ‘Inter eximia’ di Paolo VI del 1978, (lettera apostolica promulgata l’11 maggio 1978, con la quale il Papa riformò la disciplina relativa alla concessione del palli, ndr.) esempio della possibilità di rivedere usi ecclesiastici alla luce dell’evoluzione della disciplina canonica.

 “Il patriarca orientale non è semplicemente un arcivescovo maggiore, ma il padre e il capo di una Chiesa patriarcale”, scrive il porporato, ribadendo che l’unità della Chiesa deve esprimersi attraverso forme che rispettino identità, patrimonio spirituale, tradizioni e ordinamenti propri delle Chiese orientali cattoliche. Per il cardinale caldeo, una eventuale revisione di alcune pratiche avrebbe dunque lo scopo di valorizzarne la dignità e la peculiarità, rafforzando al tempo stesso la comunione con la Chiesa di Roma. 

Intervento Papa: Nona (patriarca caldeo), “Dio gli conceda una pronta guarigione”

By AgenSIR - Patriarcato Caldeo

Anche dalla Chiesa caldea giunge un messaggio di vicinanza e di preghiera per Papa Leone XIV, ricoverato al Policlinico Gemelli di Roma dove oggi sarà sottoposto a un intervento chirurgico per l’asportazione di un nodulo polmonare. 

In una nota diffusa ieri, il patriarca della Chiesa caldea, Paolo III Nona, ha assicurato la sua preghiera per la salute del Pontefice e ha rivolto un appello a tutti i fedeli caldei, in Iraq e nella diaspora, affinché si uniscano spiritualmente in questo momento di prova.

 “Invitiamo tutti i figli e le figlie della nostra Chiesa caldea in Iraq e nel mondo a unirsi in preghiera per Sua Santità Papa Leone XIV”, scrive il patriarca, chiedendo a Dio di concedere al Pontefice “una piena e rapida guarigione” perché possa “continuare il suo ministero nella guida della Chiesa cattolica”. 

Il messaggio del patriarca Nona segue l’annuncio dato domenica dallo stesso Pontefice circa la necessità dell’intervento e il successivo ricovero al Gemelli.

Iraq: card. Sako, “Dio non ha bisogno di partiti, ma di credenti che costruiscano la pace”

By AgenSIR - Pagina FB Cardinale Louis Sako

“Facciamo delle nostre religioni ponti d’incontro e non barriere di separazione; della nostra fede una sorgente di amore e non un pretesto di divisione”. 

È l’appello lanciato dal card. Louis Raphael Sako, patriarca emerito della Chiesa caldea, in una riflessione, pervenuta al Sir, dedicata al rapporto tra religioni e pace, dal titolo “Le religioni e la pace: il futuro comincia qui”. 

Guardando alla situazione internazionale e in particolare al Medio Oriente, il porporato sottolinea che “abbiamo più che mai bisogno di pace e solidarietà per preservare i nostri Paesi, salvaguardare la nostra esistenza e costruire un futuro più sicuro e stabile”. 

 che ebraismo, cristianesimo e islam sono nati nella stessa regione, “terra di civiltà e culla delle rivelazioni”, il cardinale evidenzia che “non si può ridurre la religione a un insieme di leggi, riti e pratiche”, ignorandone la funzione essenziale di “formate la coscienza e liberare l’uomo dall’egoismo, dal fanatismo e dalla corruzione”. 

Netta la condanna del porporato delle guerre combattute in nome della fede: “Le guerre condotte in nome della religione sono una macchia vergognosa sulla fronte delle autorità religiose che le promuovono o le giustificano, non sulla fronte della religione stessa”. E aggiunge: “Dio non ha bisogno di partiti che portino il suo nome, ma di credenti che vivano secondo la sua volontà e trasformino la terra in un giardino”. Secondo Sako, i leader religiosi hanno una responsabilità che è al tempo stesso spirituale, umana e civile. Essi devono “difendere i diritti delle persone, chiedere la fine delle guerre e la risoluzione delle controversie attraverso mezzi pacifici e diplomatici, diffondendo una cultura della pace”, senza subordinare la propria missione a interessi personali, di parte o a “ristretti calcoli politici”. “La pace – prosegue il cardinale – non si costruisce soltanto con parole e slogan, ma con una volontà sincera tradotta in dialogo, comprensione delle differenze e ricerca di ciò che unisce”. Una pace che non coincide semplicemente con l’assenza di guerra, ma che significa anche “giustizia, uguaglianza, pari opportunità, sicurezza e senso di appartenenza”. Da qui l’invito finale a scegliere la via della riconciliazione: “Il futuro per cui dobbiamo lavorare è un futuro in cui l’umanità sia liberata dai conflitti e dalle guerre che bruciano la terra, mietono vite umane e seminano paura e odio”. 

Un futuro, conclude Mar Sako, che sarà possibile solo quando i credenti “cammineranno nella luce della verità, dell’amore e della misericordia, testimoniando la propria fede con opere di pace”.

Iraq, ritiro Usa. Card. Sako (patriarca emerito) al Sir: “Si chiude un’epoca, ma senza riforme il Paese rischia di restare fragile”

By AgenSIR

Daniele Rocchi

2 ottobre 2026

Con la partenza degli ultimi militari statunitensi dall’Iraq si chiude una presenza iniziata il 20 marzo 2003 con l’invasione che portò alla caduta del regime di Saddam Hussein.
Nel momento di massima espansione, nel 2007, gli Stati Uniti arrivarono a schierare nel Paese circa 170mila soldati; dopo il primo ritiro del 2011, le truppe tornarono nel 2014 su richiesta di Baghdad per sostenere la lotta contro l’Isis.
Negli ultimi anni la presenza si era progressivamente ridotta a una missione di supporto e consulenza militare.

Rafforzare la sovranità.
Per il card. Louis Raphael Sako, patriarca caldeo emerito di Baghdad, e testimone privilegiato di questi 23 anni di storia irachena, il ritiro segna un passaggio importante ma non risolutivo.
“La sovranità dello Stato rappresenta un punto fondamentale per qualsiasi attività politica, economica o legata alla sicurezza”.
 “È del tutto naturale che uno Stato forte e sovrano non possa accettare la presenza di forze straniere sul proprio territorio”, afferma il porporato.
Secondo Mar Sako, la conclusione della presenza americana costituisce “un passo verso il rafforzamento della sovranità irachena”, ma lascia aperti interrogativi rilevanti. “Non si può ignorare il rischio che, nelle attuali condizioni, esso possa creare un vuoto sul piano della sicurezza e della politica, soprattutto considerando i conflitti ancora presenti nella regione e la presenza in Iraq di altre forze armate”. Nel suo bilancio degli anni successivi al 2003, il patriarca emerito riconosce agli Stati Uniti di aver avuto “un ruolo fondamentale nel cambiamento del regime iracheno”, ma osserva che “negli anni successivi non si è riusciti a costruire uno Stato istituzionale forte e stabile nella misura necessaria”.

Questioni irrisolte.
A pesare, spiega, sono questioni ancora irrisolte: “La presenza di armi al di fuori del controllo dello Stato, la corruzione, il settarismo politico e il sistema di spartizione del potere”.
Per Mar Sako, il problema non è soltanto militare.
“Tutti questi problemi richiedono riforme serie e profonde. La fragilità della situazione interna e regionale rischia infatti di rendere difficile per l’Iraq fare affidamento esclusivamente sulle proprie capacità per garantire la sicurezza, la stabilità e la protezione delle proprie risorse”.
Non a caso il porporato richiama gli esempi di Libano e Yemen, dove “è complesso costruire uno Stato forte quando al suo interno esistono diversi centri di potere e diversi attori armati”.
Il giudizio sugli effetti dell’intervento americano resta severo.
“Gli anni successivi all’invasione americana dell’Iraq hanno lasciato il Paese in una situazione di forte instabilità e disordine”, osserva il cardinale. “In questi ultimi 23 anni, l’Iraq non è riuscito a raggiungere il livello di sicurezza e stabilità economica necessario, né a sviluppare le infrastrutture e i servizi pubblici nella misura auspicata”.

La crescita del Jihadismo.
La debolezza delle istituzioni, aggiunge, ha favorito anche la crescita del jihadismo: “Ha creato le condizioni affinché organizzazioni come al-Qaeda e, successivamente, l’Isis potessero operare, indebolire ulteriormente lo Stato e assumere il controllo di vaste aree del Paese”.
Per questo motivo, avverte, “il semplice ritiro delle forze americane non è sufficiente, da solo, a consolidare la piena sovranità del governo iracheno”.
La priorità, sottolinea, resta il monopolio statale della forza: “È necessario innanzitutto che il possesso e l’uso delle armi siano ricondotti sotto il controllo delle istituzioni statali legittime”. Parallelamente, occorre “affrontare seriamente il problema della corruzione e portare avanti riforme politiche, giuridiche e costituzionali”, garantendo “i diritti di tutti i cittadini e di tutte le componenti della società irachena, senza discriminazioni”.

Il prezzo alto pagato dai cristiani.
Particolarmente dolorosa è la riflessione sulle conseguenze che questi anni hanno avuto per la presenza cristiana nel Paese. “I cristiani dell’Iraq hanno pagato un prezzo altissimo negli ultimi decenni, soprattutto a partire dal 2003. Sono stati vittime di omicidi, rapimenti, attentati, sfollamenti forzati e attacchi contro le loro chiese”.

Un prezzo che le comunità di Mosul e della Piana di Ninive hanno pagato più di altre: “Hanno subito un grave sfollamento forzato e hanno visto le proprie case e proprietà confiscate o occupate”. Tuttavia, la questione non riguarda soltanto la sicurezza. “Negli anni si è registrato anche un significativo ridimensionamento della loro presenza politica e sociale”, spiega Mar Sako.
Molti cristiani, infatti, ritengono che “la propria rappresentanza nelle istituzioni dello Stato e in Parlamento non rifletta adeguatamente la gravità delle sfide che devono affrontare”.

Emigrazione.
A questo si sommano problemi economici, carenza di servizi e mancanza di opportunità lavorative. “Tutto questo ha spinto un numero considerevole di cristiani a lasciare il Paese, alla ricerca di sicurezza, stabilità e di un futuro migliore per sé e per i propri figli”.
Il timore del patriarca emerito è che il fenomeno continui: “Il rischio è che l’emigrazione prosegua e che, nel lungo periodo, venga messa seriamente in pericolo la presenza storica della comunità cristiana in Iraq”.
Per il patriarca emerito, la vera sfida del dopo-ritiro americano sarà dunque costruire finalmente uno Stato capace di garantire uguaglianza, sicurezza e cittadinanza piena a tutti i suoi abitanti.

Rome’s gathering Middle East crisis

By The Pillar

September 29, 2026

A meeting is set to begin Tuesday in Lebanon. All the bishops of the synod of the Syriac Catholic Church have been invited to attend, though it is not clear how many will come — or if they will be joined by their patriarch, Ignatius Youssef III Younan.
Indeed, it is not clear if the meeting will take place at all, what it might decide, and if the Holy See will consider it a legitimate meeting, should it go ahead.
What is clear is that whatever happens, it will be an historic event, likely to shape or reshape the relationship between Rome and the East for decades, if not centuries to come.
The meeting has been called by the senior bishop of the Syriac Catholic Church to consider and vote upon the removal of the patriarch under the norms of a new papal motu proprio, issued just weeks ago, which allows for the bishops of an Eastern Church’s synod to depose their head for damaging communion.
While the patriarch is afforded the opportunity to defend himself, there is no legal definition for the harm to communion the bishop can be accused of causing, nor standard of proof for anyone to meet or answer.
In any event, it is not believed Youssef will attend the synodal meeting. Indeed, he has branded it unlawful, saying that since he had already convoked a synodal meeting for November, the peremptory session called to vote on his leadership cannot go ahead.
It’s also unclear how many bishops might stay away, either in deference to or solidarity with their patriarch. And it is even unclear how many bishops’ votes would be needed to remove him.
According to the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches, a synodal meeting is validly convened if a simple majority are present. Meanwhile, Mutua Concordia, the papal motu proprio allowing for the voting out of a patriarch requires “a secret ballot of at least two-thirds of the members of the Synod enjoying a deliberative vote,” but doesn’t specify if the two-thirds required is of those in attendance and voting, or those eligible to attend regardless of how many come.
As such, it seems inevitable that Pope Leo — whose ratification is required for any vote to remove a patriarch — will be asked to step in and rule either on the validity of the meeting itself, or any result it might produce.
It is, less than a month from the promulgation of Mutua Concordia, a striking misfire for a law that promised to advance “mutual agreement” among the bishops of Eastern Churches, their leaders, and Rome. And as Leo considers when and how he will inevitably be asked to intervene, it seems there are very few scenarios to avoid major ripple effects far beyond the Syriac Catholic Church.
As a first consideration, Leo, either personally or through the curia, will probably have to clarify the intent and scope of his still brand new law, and answer the patriarch’s claim that his prior calling of a synodal meeting pre-empts a special meeting being summoned to effectively put him on trial.
There is no obvious point in the text of Mutua Concordia which answers this question clearly. The wording of article 1 certainly appears like it revises canon 106 of the Eastern Code in such a way that Youssef’s convocation forestalls any other meeting, but clearly at least some of his bishops read it differently.

Stepping in early to clarify the law, and nullify the meeting set to begin today, would seem to be the pope’s best first course of action since it would, at the very least, buy time until November for matters to proceed in a more orderly manner.
But even such a seemingly time-buying move by the pope could have knock-on effects, appearing to support the patriarch’s assertion that he is the target of a coordinated effort to depose him, rather than the subject of a truly organic and internal set of concerns among the synod at large.
It would also be read by some as a check on the first use of his own new law, one which — at least according to Youssef — is the brainchild of the Vatican prefect for Eastern Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti.
Simply put, Leo stepping in to slow things down would be read at least by some as proof of the patriarch’s case — that he’s the victim of an attempted putsch, orchestrated by named malcontents within his own Church and aided by the cardinal.
Youssef has also accused the cardinal of speaking openly about wanting to engineer the ouster of other Eastern patriarchs, something which, if true, will have already rung loudly in the ears of his peers.
On the other hand, should Leo choose to allow the meeting to proceed — presumably to a vote to remove the patriarch — he might reasonably claim to be allowing the Syriac Church to govern itself and preferring not to meddle in internal affairs. In a vacuum, that might be a prudent posture for a pope to adopt. But given the particulars of this case, it would mean that the patriarch will undoubtedly claim it is further evidence of Rome clearing the way for his removal by a star chamber process. This would be even more the case if attendance at the session were closer to the minimum 50 percent of synodal members than 100. And, of course, in any event, Leo would be called up to ratify a vote to remove, likely presenting him with the unpalatable choice of either blessing a result potentially arrived at by a less-than-two-thirds majority of the full synod, and without the patriarch having been there to state his case, or vetoing it and setting up a second round of voting in November without having addressed directly the patriarch’s canonical arguments or his accusations against Gugerotti.

Un viaggio in Iraq per ricostruire. Il lavoro dell’Iniziativa dei Cristiani di Oriente

By Acistampa

Andrea Gagliarducci 

È andato con l’Iniziativa Cristiano di Oriente, di cui è presidente, ed ha cercato di comprendere cosa si può fare. Ha sottolineato che c’è bisogno di sostegno politico, progetti economici, educativi e sociali e preghiere.
Il vescovo di Linz Manfred Scheuer ha condiviso la sua esperienza in Iraq, in visita nella regione della Piana di Ninive che, dopo l’invasione del sedicente Stato Islamico, ha visto un esodo dei cristiani nemmeno troppo nascosto. 

C’erano 100 mila cristiani nella piana prima del 2014, e solo una parte di loro è tornata dopo la sconfitta militare dell’ISIS nel 2017, meno del 50 per cento secondo le stime. 

Il vescovo di Linz ha detto che questi cristiani di ritorno hanno bisogno di diverse forme di assistenza. Scheuer, insieme al presidente dell'"Iniziativa Cristiana d'Oriente" (ICO), il Vicario Generale Slawomir Dadas, ha guidato una piccola delegazione di rappresentanti dell'ICO, della sezione di Linz di Pro Oriente e della Fondazione Cardinale König.
Nella cittadina di Qaraqosh, la delegazione ha incontrato il vescovo siro-cattolico Mar Benedictus Younan Hanno. La città, un tempo interamente cristiana, ospitava 11.000 famiglie. Circa 5.000 sono poi tornate. Tuttavia, ora vi risiedono anche musulmani. Questo sta cambiando gli equilibri sociali, ha spiegato il vescovo. Ciononostante, ha riferito di una vivace vita cristiana. La situazione della sicurezza è attualmente piuttosto buona, ha concluso il vescovo.
Ma la situazione politica generale è difficile. La delegazione ha visitato, tra gli altri luoghi, la grande cattedrale siro-cattolica di Qaraqosh, gravemente danneggiata dai terroristi dell'ISIS, che la hanno così danneggiata che dovrebbe essere completamente ricostruita.
La delegazione si è imbattuta in un altro memoriale durante la visita alla Chiesa della Vergine Maria a Qaraqosh. L'ISIS aveva fatto saltare in aria il campanile della chiesa. Dopo la riconquista della città, la chiesa è stata ricostruita entro il 2022 e dotata di due nuove torri. I resti della torre originaria furono lasciati accanto alla chiesa.
Il vescovo di Mosul è Younan Hanno, che però risiede a Qaraqosh, perché la sede a Mosul è stata distrutta. Fu a Mosul che Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi proclamò il califfato dell'ISIS, e l’ISIS ha completamente distrutto o gravemente danneggiato tutte le 35 Chiese della città.
La delegazione austriaca ha visitato la Città Vecchia di Mosul, che è ancora in rovina al 90%. Intorno alla piazza che Papa Francesco ha visitato durante il suo viaggio in città nel marzo 2021, dove ha lanciato un accorato appello alla pace, si trovano cinque chiese di diverse confessioni. La chiesa siro-cattolica è stata ricostruita da allora, ma le altre quattro chiese sono ancora in rovina, come la delegazione ha potuto constatare di persona.
I rappresentanti della Chiesa locale hanno riferito che finora un massimo di 100 famiglie cristiane sono tornate a Mosul. A Mosul, la delegazione ha anche visitato la chiesa di San Paolo, recentemente ristrutturata, che ospita una piccola mostra sulla visita papale, con la croce davanti alla quale il Papa pregò, numerose fotografie e la sedia su cui si sedette il capo della Chiesa.
A Erbil, capitale della Regione del Kurdistan, la delegazione ha incontrato, tra gli altri, il Patriarca caldeo Paolo III Nona e il suo predecessore, il Patriarca emerito Louis Sako, cardinale.
Nona ha sottolineato che senza il sostegno dall'estero, sarebbe quasi impossibile per i cristiani rimasti rimanere nella loro terra. 

L'ex Patriarca Sako ha ricordato, tra le altre cose, la visita di Papa Francesco in Iraq nel 2021. Il Papa ha trasmesso ai cristiani il messaggio che non erano stati dimenticati e che c'era speranza per un futuro migliore, ha affermato Sako. L’Iniziativa Cristiani di Oriente realizza ogni anno tra i 15 e i 20 progetti di aiuto in Iraq. Ad esempio, viene fornito gasolio da riscaldamento alla popolazione indigente nei villaggi remoti della regione montuosa del nord dell'Iraq.
Inoltre, vengono sostenuti gli asili nido, le scuole e gli studenti, nonché un campo profughi che ospita yazidi. Nella piana di Ninive, sono stati cofinanziati progetti che hanno aiutato cristiani e israeliani ad avviare piccole attività e a diventare autosufficienti.

Iraq: card. Sako, “se la situazione resta invariata il 90% dei cristiani rimasti emigrerà”

By AgenSIR - Facebook

“I cristiani in Iraq non sono una presenza occasionale, né ospiti sulla loro terra, ma un popolo autoctono e parte integrante della storia dell’Iraq e della regione”. Lo afferma il cardinale caldeo emerito Louis Raphael Sako in una riflessione, inviata al Sir, dedicata al futuro della presenza cristiana nel Paese. 

Nel testo, il porporato richiama il contributo offerto nei secoli dalle comunità cristiane alla vita culturale, scientifica, educativa e sociale della Mesopotamia, ricordando che la loro presenza è precedente alla nascita dell’Islam e che esse hanno partecipato attivamente alla costruzione della civiltà irachena. Il cardinale denuncia però il progressivo ridimensionamento della presenza cristiana a causa di guerre, instabilità, terrorismo e persecuzioni.
“I cristiani sono diventati una minoranza numerica dopo decenni di dure condizioni politiche, economiche e di sicurezza”, scrive, ricordando sequestri, omicidi, attentati contro le chiese, espulsioni forzate e confische di proprietà.
Una situazione aggravata dalla conquista di vaste aree dell’Iraq da parte dell’Isis nel 2014, che ha provocato l’esodo di migliaia di famiglie da Mosul e dalla Piana di Ninive.
Sako sottolinea che la sofferenza dei cristiani “non può essere separata da quella di altri gruppi iracheni, anch’essi colpiti da violenze e persecuzioni”. Per questo invita a una risposta fondata sulla “cittadinanza, sulla pari dignità e sul rispetto reciproco. Noi siamo tutti ‘partner’ nella stessa terra, nella stessa patria e nella stessa storia”, afferma. Tra le priorità indicate figurano “il rafforzamento dello Stato di diritto, la lotta alla corruzione, il controllo delle armi e delle milizie, la tutela della libertà religiosa e la restituzione delle proprietà confiscate”.
Il patriarca emerito propone inoltre “la valorizzazione del patrimonio cristiano iracheno attraverso la protezione di chiese, monasteri e siti storici e la creazione di un museo nazionale dedicato alla storia del cristianesimo in Mesopotamia”.
La riflessione del card. Sako termina con un allarme: “Se la situazione resterà quella attuale, nel mio giudizio, il 90% dei cristiani rimasti emigrerà”. Per Sako, infatti, “preservare la presenza cristiana in Iraq non è un favore che la maggioranza concede a una minoranza, ma parte della salvaguardia dello stesso Iraq”, della sua identità pluralistica e del suo futuro.

I cristiani in Iraq tra il dolore della permanenza e la perdita della migrazione…

Testo originale dalla pagina FB del Cardinale Louis Sako

أكتب هذه السطور بهدف ترسيخ ثقافة العيش المشترك بين جميع المواطنين العراقيين، وتعزيز العلاقات والثقة والمسؤولية الأخلاقية المشتركة، وهي قيم وضرورات أساسية للبقاء والتواصل ومواجهة التحديات الجمّة.

المسيحيون شعب أصيل من تاريخ العراق

المسيحيون في العراق، كما في البلدان المجاورة، ليسوا حالة طارئة على العراق، ولا جالية عابرة، ولا ضيوفًا على أرضه؛ بل هم شعب أصيل وعميق من تاريخ العراق والمنطقة وذاكرتها الحضارية. إنهم أبناء هذه الأرض، أسهموا في بنائها وحفظ تراثها وإغناء ثقافتها.

كان الوجود المسيحي في بلاد ما بين النهرين سابقًا لظهور الإسلام بقرون، واستمر المسيحيون في أداء أدوار مهمة في الحياة العلمية والثقافية والإدارية والاقتصادية في مختلف العصور. ومع قيام الحضارة الإسلامية، شارك علماء ومترجمون مسيحيون في نقل جانب مهم من التراث العلمي والفلسفي اليوناني إلى السريانية والعربية، وأسهموا في حركة الترجمة التي ازدهرت في العصر العباسي، ولا سيما في بغداد. ولم يكن هذا الدور منفصلًا عن التفاعل الحضاري الواسع الذي جمع المسلمين والمسيحيين وغيرهم من أبناء المنطقة.

و أيضًا، في العصر الحديث، أسهم المسيحيون العراقيون في مجالات التعليم والصحة والثقافة والتجارة والحياة الاجتماعية، من خلال المدارس والجامعات والمستشفيات والمؤسسات الثقافية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية. وكان هذا الحضور جزءًا من عملية بناء الدولة والمجتمع وترسيخ قيم المواطنة والانفتاح والتنوع. المسيحيون جزء أصيل من روح العراق وتاريخه وذاكرته، كما أنهم جزء من تاريخ المشرق وحضارته.

وتشهد آثار بلاد ما بين النهرين والعراق على عمق هذا الوجود؛ فقد انتشرت الأديرة والكنائس والمراكز الدينية والتعليمية في مناطق عديدة، ولا تزال آثار كثير منها قائمة حتى اليوم. وبعض المباني الدينية المسيحية القديمة تغيرت وظائفها عبر التاريخ، وهو أمر يعكس تعقيد التاريخ الحضاري للمنطقة وتداخل مراحلها المختلفة.

ماذا حدث للمسيحيين في العقود الأخيرة؟

أما اليوم، فقد أصبح المسيحيون أقلية عددية بعد عقود من الظروف السياسية والأمنية والاقتصادية والاجتماعية القاسية. لقد تعرضوا، إلى جانب مكونات عراقية أخرى، لماسيء حروب متكررة، وإنتهاكات خطيرة على أيدي جماعات متطرفة وإرهابية، من بينها تنظيم القاعدة وتنظيم داعش، فضلًا عن جرائم الخطف والابتزاز ودفع فدية باهضة، والقتل واستهداف رجال الدين وتفجير الكنائس وتهجير العائلات ومصادرة الممتلكات أو الاستيلاء عليها.

وأدت هذه الانتهاكات، ولا سيما بعد سيطرة تنظيم داعش على مناطق واسعة من العراق عام 2014، إلى نزوح أعداد كبيرة من المسيحيين، خصوصًا من الموصل وبلدات سهل نينوى ومناطق أخرى، إلى الهجرة إلى خارج البلاد بحثًا عن الأمن والاستقرار ومستقبل أفضل لأبنائهم.

لكن لا ينبغي النظر إلى هذه المأساة بمعزل عن معاناة بقية العراقيين؛ فقد تعرض المسلمون، والإيزيديون، والصابئة المندائيون، وغيرهم من أبناء العراق، بدورهم، إلى القتل والتهجير والاضطهاد والإرهاب. إن الاعتراف بمعاناة مكوّن معين لا يعني تجاهل معاناة الآخرين، بل ينبغي أن يكون مدخلًا لفهم المأساة العراقية بأبعادها كلها.

المسؤولية المشتركة والمعالجة

ان معالجة قضية المسيحيين لا يمكن أن تقتصر على التعاطف أو الوعود أو الكلمات الجميلة التي اعتدنا عليها. فهي تحتاج إلى معالجة الأسباب التي أدت إلى ضعف الثقة بالدولة وبالمستقبل، ومن بينها هشاشة المؤسسات، وانتشار السلاح خارج إطار الدولة، والفساد، والتوترات الطائفية، وضعف سيادة القانون، وعدم معالجة آثار الجرائم التي ارتكبت بحق المواطنين وممتلكاتهم.

إن بناء دولة قوية وعادلة، تمتلك مؤسسات أمنية وطنية محترفة وقادرة على حماية جميع المواطنين من دون تمييز، يمثل شرطًا أساسيًا لاستعادة الثقة وتهيئة الظروف المناسبة لبقاء المسيحيين وعودة من يرغب منهم في العودة، لكن ان بقي الوضع على حاله ففي تقديري أن 90% من الباقين سوف يهاجرون!

مقترحات عملية لضمان الاستقرار والمستقبل

إن بقاء المسيحيين في العراق وعودة من اضطروا إلى الهجرة لا ينبغي أن يكونا مجرد خطاب إعلامي، بل يجب أن يكونا موضوعًا لبحث جاد وسياسات عملية وإجراءات قابلة للتنفيذ. كلها خطوات ضرورية لبناء بيئة يستطيع فيها المواطن أن يعيش حرًا كريمًا، بصرف النظر عن دينه أو مذهبه أو قوميته.فنحن جميعًا شركاء في الأرض والوطن والتاريخ، ومتساوون في الكرامة الإنسانية والحقوق والواجبات.

وهذه بعض اقتراحات عملية:

1. ترسيخ ثقافة العيش المشترك من خلال نشر ثقافة المواطنة وقيم الأخوة الإنسانية والاحترام المتبادل والمساواة، وترسيخ فكرة أن الحقوق والواجبات تقوم على المواطنة لا على الانتماء الديني أو الطائفي. كما ينبغي مراجعة المناهج والمواد التعليمية وإزالة أي محتوى يحرض على الكراهية أو التمييز، واستبداله بمحتوى يعزز التنوع والتسامح والتفكير النقدي.

2. تعزيز مبدأ المواطنة وسيادة القانون، الدين جزء مهم من حياة الإنسان وقيمه الأخلاقية والروحية" الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر" وفضاءٌ لحفظ المجتمع وصلاحه، لكن الدولة ينبغي أن تكون دولة مواطنين متساوين في الحقوق والواجبات، دولة المواطنة التي تُبنى عليها العلاقة بين الفرد والدولة. وكلما اختلط الانتماء الديني أو الطائفي بالحقوق السياسية والمدنية، أصبح تحقيق المساواة الكاملة أكثر صعوبة؛ لذلك ينبغي تعزيز مبدأ حياد مؤسسات الدولة تجاه المواطنين، وضمان حرية الدين والمعتقد للجميع.

3.حماية التراث المسيحي العراقي. الاهتمام بالتراث المسيحي بوصفه جزءًا من التراث العراقي العام، وليس تراثًا خاصًا بفئة من العراقيين فقط. ويمكن التفكير في إنشاء متحف وطني متخصص بالتراث المسيحي العراقي، يعرض تاريخ المسيحية في بلاد ما بين النهرين ومخطوطاتها وفنونها وآثارها على غرار المتاحف والمؤسسات التي توثق التراث المسيحي في بعض دول المنطقة مثلا في مصر المتحف القبطي ونيّة الأردن بانشاء متحف للتراث المسيحي في منطقة المغطس لاستقطاب الزوار الغربيين. يمكن أن يكون هذا المشروع جزءًا من استراتيجية أوسع لتنشيط السياحة الثقافية والدينية والتعريف بالتنوع الحضاري للعراق. الى جانب ذلك وضع برنامج وطني لحماية الكنائس والأديرة والمقابر والمواقع الأثرية المسيحية، وترميم المواقع المتضررة، وتوثيقها رقميًا، وإدراج المواقع ذات القيمة الاستثنائية على برامج الحماية والترميم الوطنية والدولية.

4.عادة الممتلكات وتعويض المتضررين:

إنشاء آليات قانونية واضحة وسريعة للنظر في قضايا الممتلكات التي صودرت أو تم الاستيلاء عليها نتيجة النزوح والصراعات، وضمان إعادة الحقوق إلى أصحابها أو تعويضهم تعويضًا عادلًا عندما يتعذر ذلك.

5. تعزيز التمثيل والمشاركة: ضمان مشاركة فعلية للمسيحيين وغيرهم من المكونات العراقية في الحياة السياسية والإدارية والثقافية على أساس الكفاءة والمواطنة، والمشاركة الفعلية في صنع القرار ومنع تحول تمثيلهم إلى مجرد أرقام أو حصص سياسية او ميليشياوية.

إن الحفاظ على الوجود المسيحي في العراق ليس خدمة تقدمها الأغلبية للأقلية، وإنما هو جزء من الحفاظ على العراق نفسه، فالعراق الذي يحمي مواطنيه جميعًا، ويحترم اختلافاتهم يحافظ على تاريخه ومستقبله.

Syriac patriarch: Planned synodal meeting ‘unlawful’

By The Pillar - Syriac Catholic church patriarchate 
September 28, 2026

An Eastern Catholic patriarch said Monday that a meeting called for bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church to vote on his potential removal is unlawful.

In a statement released Sept. 28, Ignatius Youssef III Younan said that since he had already issued a convocation of the sui iuris Church’s synod, an attempt by Syriac bishops to meet in Lebanon this week lacks legal authority, as will any meeting they hold.

A special meeting of the Syriac bishops is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 29, having been called for by the senior bishop of the Church after the patriarch. It is the first attempted use of a new law, issued by Pope Leo XIV last month, giving the governing synods of bishops in Eastern Catholic Churches the authority to convene themselves and vote for the removal of patriarchal leaders.

Noting that both the Code of Canons for the Eastern Churches and Pope Leo’s recent motu proprio recognize the patriarch’s right to be the first to call any meeting of the synod, Youssef said he had done so before an attempt by Syriac bishops to summon a peremptory meeting.

On September 2, the patriarch issued an invitation to convene a full meeting of the Church’s synod of bishops from November 17 to 20, based on a proposal of the permanent synod — a kind of standing executive council — which met in Beirut on July 23.

Two days later, bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church called for their own meeting, which would hold a vote to remove Youssef from office. But the patriarch said the sequence of events makes that scheduled meeting illicit. The patriarch urged Syriac bishops to skip the meeting this week, in favor of the one he’s scheduled for November.

“Regarding the invitation issued on September 4 for a synod to be held on September 29 and 30, it is unlawful,” the patriarch wrote on Monday.

“Claiming that the bishop senior by ordination has the right to initiate the call for a synod is incorrect, as the apostolic motu proprio issued by His Holiness the Pope stipulates that if the Patriarch fails to fulfill his duty to convoke a synod, only then does the senior bishop by ordination do so.”

“Therefore, His Beatitude urges the Synod Fathers to understand this matter and to participate in a spirit of communion and fraternal love in the synod to be held in November,” said the statement issued by the patriarchate, stressing that the patriarch remained “open-hearted and ready for any opinion, dialogue, frank discussion, and fraternal meeting at any time, for the good of the Church and the salvation of souls, whether during, before, or after the synod meeting.”

The statement comes after an interview in which the patriarch told The Pillar last week that a Vatican prefect and a Rome-based bishop of his own Church had been working together to orchestrate his removal.

Youssef said the call among Syriac bishops to remove him stems from a dispute with Bishop Flaviano Rami Al-Kabalan, who had served as the Syriac Catholic Church’s procurator in Rome and remains resident in the city, even after Pope Francis supported his removal from that office with a November 2024 decree, the patriarch said.

According to the patriarch, Al-Kabalan refused to return to Beirut and receive a new assignment despite his removal from office, and instead set about organizing support to remove the patriarch by “making promises to his brothers the bishops, or even threatening them.”

Youssef also told The Pillar that Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, was the driving force behind the August papal motu proprio which allowed for Eastern Churches’ synods of bishops to convene themselves and vote to remove their own patriarchs.

The patriarch also said that Gugerotti had been instrumental in pushing for his ouster, and has pushed for changes the patriarch regards as theologically problematic.
Youssef told The Pillar that the heads of several Eastern Catholic Churches have written a formal letter to Pope Leo raising complaints about Cardinal Gugerotti’s leadership. “Most of the patriarchs are not so happy with the prefect’s behavior,” Youssef told The Pillar last week. “He has spread the news for the past two years that he is trying to get several patriarchs dismissed, and he says that openly.”

In the statement released on Sept. 28, the patriarch did not step back from his previous allegations regarding the cardinal. However, he emphasized “fervent prayers, love, and submission to His Holiness [Pope Leo], as well as his trust in his wisdom and prudence in shepherding the Church.” “Furthermore,” the patriarchal statement said, “any opinion or evaluation regarding any member of the Roman Curia does not in any way reflect upon His Holiness the Pope, who remains the Father and Supreme Pontiff, [with the patriarch] asking God to sustain him in shepherding the Church through these difficult circumstances in our world today.” Mutua concordia, the papal motu proprio formally issued on Aug. 28, amended the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, the body of canon law which applies to all the 23 Eastern Churches in communion with Rome, in addition to their individual governing laws. The reform created a mechanism by which the bishops of an Eastern Church’s synod can convene a meeting to vote for the removal of the patriarch or major archbishop of an Eastern Church if they were found to have caused “irreparable damage” to the communion of Church. 

According to Leo’s new law on the subject, a synodal meeting to remove an Eastern Catholic patriarch should be called by the senior bishop of the synod who is in favor of removal. 

 A two-thirds majority of the voting members of the synod, usually the diocesan bishops of the Eastern Catholic Church, is required to effect the removal, and the pope must confirm a removal decision. While the law does not define legal criteria for defining or establishing the alleged irreparable damage to internal communion, it does require that the patriarch be allowed to defend himself before the synod.

For Iraq’s Christians, Archbishop Warda says long-term stability requires jobs

By EWTN News

Georgena Habbaba

September 27, 2026

For Christians in Iraq, remaining in their historic homeland increasingly depends not only on security but also on whether younger generations can find meaningful work and build stable lives, according to Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil.
In an interview with ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News, Warda said education, professional formation, and sustainable employment have become essential to strengthening Christian communities at a time when economic pressures continue to weigh heavily on young Iraqis.
 The challenge is particularly significant for Christians because their numbers have declined considerably in recent decades, leaving smaller communities more vulnerable to economic pressures. Speaking at the Catholic University of Erbil, Warda pointed to the structure of Iraq’s economy as part of the problem. Government spending and public-sector employment continue to play an outsized role, while the private sector has yet to generate enough sustainable jobs to meet the needs of a young and growing workforce.
A difficult transition from education to employment World Bank data indicate that the country’s unemployment rate stands at 15.5%, while labor force participation is around 38%.
Demographics add another layer to the challenge: Iraqis between the ages of 15 and 29 make up approximately 29% of the population, placing continued pressure on the labor market.
The countryʼs heavy dependence on oil also affects its ability to generate employment. Oil accounted for approximately 88% of government revenue and 91% of merchandise exports in 2025, leaving the economy exposed to fluctuations in energy prices and revenues.
Against that backdrop, Warda said preparing young people for employment requires more than helping them earn university degrees. Education, he said, must also provide the practical and professional skills needed in an increasingly competitive labor market, particularly as opportunities for government employment become more limited. He pointed to university students who take night jobs to finance their education as an example of both the pressures facing young Iraqis and their determination to pursue a future through work.
For Warda, their experience also demonstrates that young people are prepared to take responsibility when meaningful opportunities are available.
Moving beyond emergency assistance Warda praised the support that Aid to the Church in Need provides through scholarships but said the challenge does not end when students graduate.
Helping young Christians move from education into employment, he said, must become a greater priority for the Church and other institutions seeking to sustain Iraqʼs Christian presence. That requires a broader change in approach: from responding primarily to immediate needs to creating the conditions in which families and young people can become economically independent. Warda called for greater investment in people, professional formation, employment, and projects capable of strengthening the private sector and providing young Iraqis with viable alternatives to dependence on government jobs.
The Chaldean Catholic Archdiocese of Erbil has sought to follow that model through a network of educational, academic, healthcare, media, and humanitarian institutions.
Creating opportunities through Church institutions Warda said institutions connected to the archdiocese currently employ approximately 950 people from different communities and backgrounds without discrimination. Yet he raised the question of whether even that number is enough when measured against the scale of the economic challenges facing Iraqi society and, in particular, its Christian communities.
For Warda, expanding sustainable employment will require partnerships and investment beyond what Church institutions can accomplish on their own. He argued that the Churchʼs response should therefore be rooted not simply in charitable assistance but in justice, human dignity, and empowerment. 

The ultimate purpose of assistance, he said, should be to give people the skills and opportunities they need to support themselves and their families rather than allowing short-term assistance to become a source of permanent dependence. For Iraqʼs Christians, that approach places economic opportunity alongside education as an important part of the effort to preserve a living Christian presence in the country, one in which young people can see a future for themselves and their families in their homeland.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.