Cardinal Sako: Don't forget suffering churches in the East
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako urged the next Pope to stand firmly with Middle Eastern churches, calling for greater attention to their struggles.
In a statement, Sako noted that churches in the East feel marginalized despite being the historical roots of Christianity, adding that while Eastern patriarchates have become minorities today, they once played a pioneering role in spreading Christianity.
“Pope Francis was close to the suffering of Middle Eastern Christians, having visited six countries in the region, including Iraq, where he met with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in what he described as a historic event,” he pointed out, hoping that the next Pope would “continue this path,” working to strengthen dialogue and unity, and to resolve outstanding issues without delay.
The conclave to elect the 267th head of the Catholic Church began Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel, with 133 cardinals from around the world participating in the vote to choose a successor to Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21 at the age of 88.
On Wednesday afternoon, under the gaze of Michelangelo’s frescoes, the 133 cardinals taking part in the 2025 conclave entered the Sistine Chapel. The ancient ritual to elect the Pope has officially begun.At around 3:45pm the cardinal-electors gathered in the Pauline Chapel and,… pic.twitter.com/IAcc0VHHSP
— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 7, 2025
This conclave is considered the largest and most geographically diverse in the Church’s history, with cardinals from more than 70 countries. The election is expected to take several days, with a two-thirds majority required for any candidate to be elected.
