By Syriac Press
November 14, 2023
Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court has delivered a verdict to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Roman Catholic Cardinal and Patriarch of the Chaldean Church Mar Louis Raphael Sako which sought to overturn the Republican Decree issued by President of Iraq Abdul Latif Rashid which stripped him of official recognition as the head of the Church.
The Court ruled against Patriarch Sako, citing the absence of evidence that would undermine the legitimacy of the procedures involved in the issuance of Republican Decree No. 31 of 2023 by President Rashid.
President Rashid’s decree effectively rescinded the previous appointment of Patriarch Sako as the officially recognized of the Chaldean Church, along with his responsibilities for its endowments.
Patriarch Sako has vehemently contested the withdrawal, asserting that there is no legal basis for revoking the decree that acknowledged him as the Church’s leader with custodial authority over its assets. He emphasized his commitment to remaining in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) until the decision is reversed.