“The Kurdistan Region has a civil system, not a religious, sectarian, or quota-based one, which is very positive,” Sako told Rudaw on the sidelines of the Kurdistan National Prayer Breakfast, a large interfaith gathering, in Erbil.
The event kicked off on Wednesday and drew hundreds of officials and religious leaders from the Kurdistan Region and abroad, with messages centered on peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. It will run through Friday.
“People feel free and safe in the Kurdistan Region,” Sako said, praising the event and saying it serves to “strengthen relationships and coexistence.”
Sako addressed the audience at the event, saying, “There is no problem with religions, but with the exploitation of religion for political and economic purposes.”
He commemorated the late Pope Francis as a “significant and supreme human figure and a unique spirit,” praising the Pope’s role in promoting peaceful coexistence, brotherhood, interfaith dialogue, and renouncing war.
Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at age 88 on Easter Monday following a stroke. The Pope's death follows a period of ill-health that saw him spend five weeks in hospital with double pneumonia. The debate over who his successor would be began shortly after his hospitalization.
In March 2021, Pope Francis made a historic trip to Iraq, becoming the first pontiff to visit the country. His visit included stops in Baghdad, Mosul, and Najaf, where he met Iraq’s highest Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. He concluded his visit in Erbil, where he held a holy mass and met with Kurdish leaders.
In Mosul, the Pope held prayers for victims of ISIS and visited other significant Christian sites in the city.
Sako highlighted the continuing significance of the Pope’s visit, saying it underlined the important role of religion in building bridges and fostering mutual understanding and peace. Recalling his last meeting with Pope Francis, the patriarch said, “I remember the last time I saw him, he said: Iraq is in my heart.”
Sako was appointed head of the Chaldean Church by the Pope at the Vatican and was instrumental in organizing the late pontiff’s visit to Iraq.
The Kurdistan Region is predominantly Muslim but takes pride in its commitment to religious freedom. In addition to its Muslim population, the region is home to diverse faith communities, including Christians, Yazidis, Sabean-Mandaeans, Zoroastrians, Kaka’is, and Baha’is.
