Cardinal Sako gets call from Trump's Chaldean-Iraqi lawyer, hopes for “positive impact” on Iraq

Shafaq News / On Saturday, the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and the world announced that its Cardinal received a phone call from a lawyer for former US President Donald Trump.

The church stated, “On Friday, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako received a call from Alina Habba, Trump's attorney and campaign advisor, who is of Chaldean Iraqi descent.”

Cardinal Sako expressed pride in Habba's Chaldean heritage and Iraqi roots, hoping she would “contribute positively to Iraq's stability,” highlighting his appreciation for the Chaldean community in the United States, which has long supported the church's efforts.

Notably, several ancient Christian communities, who now number an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people from the 1.5 million, lived in Iraq before the US invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

There are 14 officially recognized Christian sects in Iraq. Most live in Baghdad, the plains of northern Nineveh Governorate, and the Kurdistan region.

Chaldeans constitute the largest portion, comprising up to 80% of Iraq's Christians. Syriacs make up approximately 10%, while Assyrians represent around 5%. About 3% of Iraqi Christians are of Armenian descent, and Arab Christians constitute about 2% of the Christian population in the country.