Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani received Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide, and his accompanying delegation on Tuesday, July 25, the Kurdistan region presidency said in a statement.

In a meeting, on the recent revocation of an Iraqi presidential decree regarding the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani “reiterated the importance of Iraq including the Kurdistan Region to embrace all religious and ethnic communities, and expressed hope that the president of Iraq would resolve the issue soon.”

President Nechirvan Barzani reaffirmed that “coexistence and mutual acceptance are uncompromising values and principles, and that Iraq’s strength lies in remaining a country for all communities, and protecting the rights of all.”

On July 3, the Iraqi presidency issued a fresh decree that superseded Decree No. 147 of 2013, wherein Louis Raphael Sako was designated as patriarch. Consequently, the patriarch made the decision to relocate from Baghdad and move the patriarchate to Erbil last Friday, where he was warmly welcomed by the Kurdish leadership.

Sako has implied that officials from the Babylon Brigades, including Rayan al-Kildani, played a role in influencing the Iraqi presidency's decision, which led to his departure from Baghdad.

US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller has also strongly criticized the Iraqi government for his mistreatment and expressed concern that Cardinal Sako’s position was “under attack from a number of quarters, in particular a militia leader”, an indirect reference to al-Kildani.

However, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rasheed stated that the withdrawal of Decree No. 147 would not have any adverse effects on Cardinal Louis Sako's religious or legal status, as he had been appointed as a patriarch of the Chaldean Church by Pope Francis.

For his part, Cardinal Sako expressed his gratitude for the support of President Nechirvan Barzani and stressed that the Kurdistan Region is a land of coexistence and mutual acceptance and a source of pride for them. 

The Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans reassured that the current situation will not prevent him from carrying out his commitments and duties or from continuing to protect Iraq and its peaceful coexistence.

The situation in the Nineveh Plains and other issues related to the status of the Church and the Christians were also highlighted during the meeting which was also attended by the minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

Moreover, Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani in a meeting on Sunday with the Patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq expressed his concern about the Iraqi President's decision and hoped it would be reviewed and corrected.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also condemned “the treatment directed towards the Patriarch.”

"The Kurdistan Region, and the alchemy of coexistence that thrives here, is a source of pride to us all," he added.