On June 22, following his return to Baghdad, Chaldean Patriarch Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako published a letter extending his thanks and appreciation to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) leadership, praising President Masoud Barzani, Nechirvan Barzani, and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani in particular for their support.

On July 3, 2023, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid revoked a decree recognizing Cardinal Sako as the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Moreover, on November 14 of that year, the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq rejected a complaint by the Patriarch against the decision.

In protest, Cardinal Sako moved to Erbil on July 21, 2023, where he was warmly welcomed by KRG Prime Minister Barzani and other top Kurdish leaders. The top Kurdish leaders expressed hope that the decision would be revoked and justice would prevail. 

On July 18, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed his concern that the cardinal’s position as a respected leader of the church was under attack and called for his return to Baghdad.

He also referred indirectly to Rayan al-Kildani, the leader of a Christian Popular Mobilization Forces faction known as the Babylon Movement, who was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2019 and has aimed to undermine Patriarch Sako. Al-Kildan has reportedly attempted to seize Christian properties, parliament seats, and endowments of the Church.

On April 12, 2024, after much public pressure, Cardinal Sako returned to Baghdad on invitation from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani. His visit to Baghdad came two days ahead of Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani’s trip to the United States.

Later, on June 5, Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani reinstated Cardinal Sako as the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholics in Iraq and the World.

“The decision to return the seat of the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Iraq and the World is a right and appropriate step and I praise [Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani] for this decision,” President Masoud Barzani said in a post on X on June 12.

“I also appreciate their standing by truth and what is right in how they dealt with the matter,” Cardinal Sako said about the top Kurdish leaders in the June 22 letter. “Praise be to God that matters were eventually set straight by an initiative of his eminence, [Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani].”

“I think there is a very great need for a clear national vision for the stability of the country, and there is no path to rectify the crises and fix matters correctly except through civilized, peaceful, wise and courageous dialogue upon which all can agree,” he added.

In an interview in August 2023 with Kurdistan Chronicle, Cardinal Sako also expressed gratitude for the respect and appreciation shown by the people of the Kurdistan Region towards religious figures of different faiths and expressed his appreciation for the culture of coexistence in Kurdistan.

“The Christians consider the Kurdistan Region a secure haven amid the political and religious conflicts entangling Iraq, prompting them to choose to relocate there,” he said. “We, in the Kurdistan Region, promote peaceful coexistence and wish for it to be a haven for every individual, irrespective of their religion.”

Mohammed Salih, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Foreign Policy Research Institute, told Kurdistan Chronicle that the decision to reinstate Cardinal Sako as the Chaldean Patriarch was a “blow to both the Federal Supreme Court and Iraqi President Rashid, who had earlier removed Cardinal Sako from that position.”

“This order is important as it seeks to appease Cardinal Sako, the Vatican, and Iraqi Christians, and is another example of circumventing the Federal Supreme Court,” Salih said.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg is a seasoned reporter and analyst who specializes in Kurdish affairs, and holds a Master’s degree in Kurdish studies from Exeter University.