Babylon Movement Leader Lambasts Patriarch Sako's Erbil Relocation
Shafaq News/ Rayan al-Kaldani, the Secretary-General of the Babylon Movement, on Saturday expressed discontent following the controversial decision of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the internationally recognized Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq, to decamp from Baghdad and relocate his seat of power to Erbil, the capital city of the Kurdistan region.
In a press release he issued earlier today, al-Kaldani deplored "the unexpected open letter bearing the number 160, dated July 15, 2023, delivered by Patriarch Sako to the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and to both the Christian and Iraqi people, heralds his withdrawal from the historic Patriarchate in Baghdad. Fleeing potential legal repercussions, he seeks sanctuary in a Kurdish monastery, disquietingly distant from the cases brought against him."
Stressing the fundamentally "political" nature of the Babylon Movement, al-Kaldani reiterated its commitment to its role in the "State Administration" coalition and disavowed any connections to militant factions.
The Christian leader said that "the revocation of Sako's decree falls under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic, not the Babylon Movement, serving as an instrument of constitutional rectification."
"If Patriarch Sako fervently advocates for a state underpinned by law and institutional integrity, yearns for the assertion of state dignity and governmental success, then why does he incessantly resort to the media to vilify the lawmakers of the Babylon bloc, charging them with baseless accusations?"
Al-Kaldani lamented the rebuffs they received in their attempts to visit him at his residence or any church of his preference. The movement's aim, he emphasized, was "to engage in frank discussions about political positions, hoping to position Christian deputies at the vanguard of the political process, thereby securing their constituents' rights."
"Today, Sako has decided to withdraw to our beloved Kurdistan," al-Kaldani stated. He expressed hope that this interlude might offer Sako the tranquility to reassess his political and media positions, contending that the Patriarch's immediate necessity is a disengagement from politics, rather than an estrangement from the historical Chaldean patriarchal capital, Babylon.
Asserting the movement's legitimate right to take legal actions against the accusations leveled in Sako's open letter, l-Kaldani expressed readiness to extend an olive branch, expressing the willingness to cooperate with Sako and the other churches leaders.
