Chaldean leader vows to discipline priests who leave Iraq without bishops' permission

October 21, 2014

The head of the Chaldean Catholic Church has announced that priests who have left their dioceses in Iraq face suspension.

Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako set a deadline of October 22 for priests who have left their posts to speak with their bishops and arrange either a return to their parishes or an approved transfer. The Chaldean Patriarch, who is struggling to maintain the Christian presence in Iraq, has said that priests are ordained to serve their people and are not free to leave in times of trouble.

 

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Further information:

• Chaldean Patriarch introduces sanctions for “errant clerics” (Vatican Insider)