Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, announced that he submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV of his own free will on the morning of March 9 so he could “dedicate himself quietly to prayer, writing, and simple service.”
Sako said that the pope accepted it and agreed to delay its official announcement and publication until noon the following day, at Sako’s request.
A ministry marked by love
“To put an end to speculation,” the Chaldean patriarch stressed that he had requested resignation of his own accord and that no one had asked him to do so. After 13 years on the patriarchal see — years he described as marked by “care, love, attentiveness, and flourishing” — he said he had led the Chaldean Church and safeguarded its institutions “under extremely difficult circumstances and amid great challenges,” sparing no effort in defending the Church and the rights of Iraqis in general and Christians in particular.
Sako noted that he had previously announced his intention to submit his resignation upon turning 75, in keeping with earlier decisions of the Chaldean Synod that his predecessors had not implemented. He said he discussed the matter with the late Pope Francis, who encouraged him to remain.
He expressed confidence in God’s care for his Church and his hope that, “in these difficult times,” the Chaldean Catholic Church would be led by a patriarch who believes in renewal, openness, and dialogue, and who possesses sound theological formation, courage, and wisdom. He emphasized that he would respect his successor and would not interfere in his work.
Sako also said that he had written his will while still a priest and later updated it, specifying the money he possesses from his salaries over 52 years of priestly ministry and what he inherited from his family. He said his true wealth lies in his devoted service, in addition to the 45 books he has published.
‘Remember me in your prayers’
He concluded by thanking God for his abundant blessings and expressing gratitude to his family and to all those with whom he lived and whom he served as a priest in Mosul, as a bishop in Kirkuk, and then as patriarch in Baghdad. He also asked forgiveness “from the bottom of my heart from all those whom I have hurt.”
Sako offered special thanks to his auxiliary, Bishop Basil Yaldo, to his secretary, to the priests of Baghdad, and to those working in the patriarchate. While assuring them all of his prayers, he asked them in return: “Remember me in your prayers.”
Sako the priest, bishop, and patriarch
Sako, born in one of the villages of Zakho in Iraq’s Duhok province on July 4, 1948, was elected patriarch of the Chaldean Church on Jan. 28, 2013, succeeding Patriarch Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly. Pope Benedict XVI confirmed his appointment on Feb. 1, 2013, and he was formally installed on March 6 of the same year.
On June 28, 2018, the late Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of cardinal in recognition of his notable contributions and distinguished service. Sako often took pride in the fact that his patriarchate witnessed the first papal visit to Iraq, when Pope Francis made his historic trip to the country in March 2021.
Challenges and crises
During the 13 years of his patriarchate, Sako faced several major challenges, most notably repeated confrontations with the Babylon Movement and its leader, whom the Chaldean patriarch described as “an armed militia that has seized Christians’ political and financial resources.”
In a related development, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in July 2023 revoked Presidential Decree No. 147 of 2013 concerning the “appointment” of Louis Sako as patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide and as head of its endowments. At the time, the patriarchate described the move as “unprecedented in the history of Iraq.” Sako subsequently withdrew from Baghdad to the patriarchate’s summer residence in Ankawa, Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. He returned nine months later in response to an invitation from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who issued a decree naming Sako patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide and entrusting him with oversight of its endowments.
Several Iraqi media outlets also stirred controversy over the cardinal’s comments about his unique experience in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV, describing them as a disclosure of conclave proceedings, whose secrecy all cardinals swear to protect before the assembly begins.
Today’s announcement by the Holy See of the acceptance of the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta, bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego, and the appointment of Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as apostolic administrator, also recalled the Chaldean Patriarchate’s recent call for accuracy and caution against misleading information circulated by some media outlets and social media regarding “allegations and complaints” involving several of its bishops.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated for and adapted by EWTN News English.
