The President of the Republic, Barham Salih, received today, Saturday, at al-Salam (Peace) Palace in Baghdad, the Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq and the scholar, Cardinal Mar Louis Raphael I Sacco, and a number of priests and cardinals from the countries of the region.
Salih affirmed that “Christians of Iraq and Christians of the East are an authentic component in the region, and they stood by their brothers from all sects to face various challenges, and their historical and civilizational contributions were deeply influential and deeply rooted, and fused in building our societies, and produced those customs, traditions and authentic eastern values, indicating that no east can be imagined without Christians.
He added that the visit of His Holiness Pope Francis to Iraq represented a deep humanitarian message of solidarity for a country that has suffered from violence and conflicts, and looks forward to moving forward towards establishing its security, stability and peace, preserving its peaceful coexistence and protecting its diverse spectrum and components.
For his part, Cardinal Mar-Louis Sacco expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to the President of the Republic, for his follow-up and continuous support for Christians, his contribution to solving many of the issues and obstacles they faced during the past years, and his role in establishing social coexistence among all components of the people.
Source: National Iraqi News Agency