Shafaq News/ Religion does not erase identity, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide, revealed on Saturday.

Speaking during the Way of the Cross Mass at Ibrahim Church in the city of Ur, Al-Nasiriyah, Sako highlighted that around 1,000 Shi’ite individuals in the city identify as Chaldeans and have established a Chaldean cultural center. He also described the group’s identity as a positive example of cultural openness.

“We take pride in our history and our Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Arab civilization—all of it.”

According to the church statement, Sako offered prayers for Pope Francis' recovery, marking the fourth anniversary of the pontiff's visit to Ur.

The Mass was attended by Bishop Basilios Yaldo, the Patriarchal Assistant, along with members of the Council of Religious Orders, priests from Baghdad, and clergy from the Diocese of Basra.