Archbishop Louis Sako, 64, of Kirkuk, northern Iraq, has been elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, succeeding retired Patriarch Emmanuel III Delly, 85.
The new Patriarch has taken the name His Beatitude Louis Raphael I Sako.
I worked in Iraq with an Assyrian lady from Kirkuk and was told that at the time (2005) it was the most peaceful city in Iraq without even the presence of US troops needed. There was a very strong and influential Christian population that lived peacefully side by side with Kurds and Arabs with large churches. I don't think this peace last very long however. The Patriarch has a hard road to follow.
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
I had the privilege of interviewing the Patriarch-elect when he came to Portugal last year. I shared it at the time, but here is the full transcript (in the original English) for anybody who is interested.
Prayers that you and your family are well. Excellent interview! Thank you for sharing it.
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
His Beatitude will not be wearing the traditional Chaldean shash.
Quote
Sako, having announced a reorganization of the Chaldean diocese and the ability to create one in Europe, has also said he will not wear the "Shash", the typical headgear once led by the Chaldean clergy, which is a sort of turban, "I seems linked to an ancient tradition and folklore. I want to be simple and straightforward, do not raise barriers against anyone and also a certain way to dress in a way it is a barrier. Nothing Shash, maybe something more simple. " (Google Translation)
Probably, the point is that a modern school of though states that the Christians in Iraq are a separate ethnicity rather than the other Iraqi people. Some make also difference between "Assyrians" and "Chaldeans".
Of course historically this claim has zero support. It was introduced in the 19th century by the Anglican and Protestant missionaries, but it spread at the point that in 1974 the formal name of the Qochanis Patriarchate of the Church of East was changed in "Assyrian Church of the East".
This false claim, supported mainly by expatriated, has also important impact in today life of the Christians in Iraq making more difficult the lives of who still lives in Iraq.
Not wearing the "Shash" may be a way to underline that the Iraqi Christians are nothing else than other Iraqi simply of a different (and older) religion, as it has been for centuries under the Ottoman Empire (where Sunni lived with Shites and with Christians and with Mandeans and with Yazidi ecc)
Not wearing the Shash is going to have the effect of significantly differentiating between the ACOE and the Chaldean Church (although I realize that the ACOE hierarchs wear headgear of a different name and somewhat different in form than the shasta, though similar) - not sure that is a good thing. In the US, I believe that I've seen photos of Mar Sarhad wearing it, but don't think I can say the same of Mar Ibrahim.
Many years,
Neil
Last edited by Irish Melkite; 02/05/1309:09 AM.
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
Anyone know who the largest prelate I've ever seen is, at the 1:08:52 mark? He is huuge - he might be larger - size, height, frame - than Cardinal Dolan!
The Byzantine Forum provides
message boards for discussions focusing on Eastern Christianity (though
discussions of other topics are welcome). The views expressed herein are
those of the participants and may or may not reflect the teachings of the
Byzantine Catholic or any other Church. The Byzantine Forum and the
www.byzcath.org site exist to help build up the Church but are unofficial,
have no connection with any Church entity, and should not be looked to as
a source for official information for any Church. All posts become
property of byzcath.org. Contents copyright - 1996-2024 (Forum 1998-2024). All rights
reserved.
