The Synod of the Chaldean Church Bishops held meetings in Rome under the chairmanship of the Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, on 4-8 October 2017 and issued the following statement:

To our sisters and brothers in the homeland,

We would like to talk to you in these difficult and critical circumstances of our beloved country, expressing our solidarity with you and pride in you.

We highly appreciate the achievements of our armed forces, and commend them for their outstanding victories and liberation of cities, one by one, from the grip of the ISIS terrorist organization. We look forward to the liberation of the entire land of Iraq.

We watch with great concern the developments of the political situations in the country, especially the crisis of the referendum of the Kurdistan Region and its desire for independence. We call on all parties to settle down and not to escalate, which is a matter of concern to our citizens. We believe that the safest way to overcome and resolve all obstacles and problems is brave and civilized dialogue. Dialogue is the safest way to overcome crises. The Church is praying for that and was ready to join all those with good will to activate dialogue and reconciliation.

As a genuine Chaldean people, we officially reject the labels that distort our Chaldean identity, such as the composite name “Chaldean Syriac Assyrian” used in the Kurdistan Region, contrary to the name established in the Iraqi constitution. We call upon our daughters and sons to reject these labels, to adhere to their Chaldean identity without fanaticism, and to respect the other names such as ‘Assyrians’, ‘Syriacs’, and ‘Armenians’. We call upon the authorities in the region to respect them, and we encourage our Chaldeans to cooperate with everyone for the common good and not to split into unidentified groups or follow illusory projects that harm Christians. We also encourage them to engage in public affairs and in the political process as genuine partners of this blessed land, and to play their role alongside their fellow citizens in building a modern and strong civil country that befits their country's civilization and glory, a country that respects the rights and equality of all. We also express our support for the Chaldean League which seeks to establish links between the Chaldeans around the world.

Finally, despite today's struggles and disagreements, our hope remains strong and our confidence that our citizens will be up to the level of responsibility and will resort to the voice of moderation, love, and peace is still high.

O Lord of peace, give our country peace.