Iraqi President: Withdrawing Republican Decree from Cardinal Louis Sako is a Constitutional Correction

Shafaq News/ On Monday, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid reviewed the decision to withdraw Republican Decree No. (147) of 2013 from Cardinal Louis Sako, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide. The meeting took place at the Baghdad Palace, where Rashid received Father Charles Lawanga Sona, the Charge d'Affairs of the Vatican State Embassy in Iraq, according to a statement by the Iraqi presidency.

During the meeting, President Rashid emphasized that the withdrawal of the republican decree does not impact the religious or legal standing of Cardinal Louis Sako, as the Apostolic See appointed him as the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and globally.

The decision to withdraw the decree was made to rectify a constitutional situation, as the original decree was issued without a constitutional or legal basis. Additionally, heads of other churches and sects had requested similar republican decrees, prompting the correction, President Rashid explained.

Highlighting the respect and appreciation held by the Presidency of the Republic for Patriarch Louis Sako as the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide, President Rashid reassured the cardinal of his esteemed status.

Father Charles Lawanga Sona, the Charge d'Affairs of the Vatican Embassy in Baghdad, expressed no objections to the procedures carried out by the Presidency of the Republic, affirming the embassy's support for the decision.

The republican decree had been withdrawn from Cardinal Louis Sako in response to the request made by Rayan al-Kaldani, the leader of the Babylon faction affiliated with the popular crowd, who sought to appoint Sako in charge of church endowments and involve his brothers in related matters by granting them positions, as revealed by Cardinal Louis Sako.