Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation submitted by Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako from the office of Patriarch of Baghdad of the Chaldeans, in accordance with Canon 126 §2 of the Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches (CCEO).
Cardinal Sako’s letter
In a letter released on Tuesday, the Cardinal explains that he had considered resigning already two years ago, upon turning 75, had discussed it then with Pope Francis, and had been encouraged by him to remain.
The decision to submit his resignation to Pope Leo XIV—to be able to “dedicate himself quietly to prayer, writing, and simple service”—and to explain it in a letter “to avoid any misunderstanding,” confirms that he was not forced by anyone to do so and requested to resign voluntarily.
“I have led the Chaldean Church under extremely difficult circumstances and amid great challenges,” Cardinal Sako writes. “I have preserved the unity of its institutions and have spared no effort to defend it.”
Likewise, the Cardinal declares that he has acted for “the rights of Iraqis and Christians, taking a stand and maintaining a presence both inside and outside the country.”
A new Patriarch who believes in renewal
The Cardinal recounts that his 13 years of service in Baghdad “have been years of loving pastoral care, accompaniment, and growth,” thanking God “for the grace of love” granted to him, his family, those who have lived with him during the years he served as a priest in Mosul, Bishop in Kirkuk, and Patriarch in Baghdad, and his assistants.
“In these difficult times, I hope that the leadership of the Chaldean Catholic Church will be entrusted to a patriarch who possesses solid theological knowledge, courage, and wisdom,” Cardinal Sako hopes.
He also insists that in the Chaldean See of Baghdad, it is necessary to have “someone who believes in renewal, openness, and dialogue, and who also has a sense of humor.”
The testament
Finally, in the letter, the Cardinal reveals that he wrote his will while still a priest and has renewed it several times, adding that he possesses “about forty million Iraqi dinars, five thousand U.S. dollars, and five thousand euros” collected from “salaries over 52 years of priestly service, in addition to what was obtained from selling the family house in Mosul.”
Cardinal Sako further declares that he does not own a house or a car and that his “true wealth” is his “devoted service and the 45 books and numerous articles” he has published.
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