The head of Iraq’s Chaldean Catholic Church has urged Christians to work towards engaging in interfaith dialogue amidst ideological extremism and ongoing wars.

“Today, Christians do not need martyrdom, but what they need is the testimony of [a] life that positively affects society,” said Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

Sako gave his remarks during a celebratory Holy Mass on the anniversary of Saint Meskenta’s martyrdom, at the Saint Hannah Monastery for Chaldean nuns in Karada, Baghdad, the patriarchate said in a September 25 statement.

According to tradition, Saint Meskinta was martyred along with her two children by the Persians during the anti-Christian persecution by the Sassanian king Yazdgerd II (438-457).

Meskinta is mentioned in a breviary dating back to 1777, written in Aden—a mountainous village in northern Iraq.

The Persian king considered Christians as internal enemies amidst the war against the Eastern Roman Empire, which had converted to Christianity.

The prelate reminded his audience that the harmony between faith and morality in the face of indifference, and the decline of morals and values, has become more important than ever before.

“The spiritual and moral dimensions [of the harmony between faith and morality] have an impact on global peace and security, disarmament, and conflict prevention,” Sako said.

Bishop Basilios Yaldo and Father Basman George concelebrated the Holy Mass, which was attended by several nuns.

Sako pointed out that the conflicts in the region are caused by many factors.

The deterioration of morals, the absence of proper religious education, the loss of trust and fear of others, and inciteful comments laced with ideological extremism, among others, have caused conflict in the region, he said.

The prelate urged the faithful to pray for peace in Lebanon, the Holy Land, Sudan, and Ukraine.

Cardinal Sako urged the faithful to witness something different and endure pain to produce work of human, spiritual, and social value despite being small in numbers.

“Christians should be witnesses to values that are not easy to talk about and embody them in their reality,” the prelate emphasized.

Iraq's Christian population has drastically declined since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled strongman Saddam Hussein, dropping from more than 1.5 million people to around 400,000 today.

Many have fled the violence that has plagued the country over the past 20 years.