Chaldean patriarch decries divisions, other problems within Church

February 05, 2015

In a message issue on the second anniversary of his patriarchal election, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church lamented divisions and other problems within his Eastern Catholic church.

“The situations in our Church were influenced by intellectual shortsightedness, by a lack of spirituality and legal ethic, as well as by inappropriate upbringing,” wrote Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako.

“This was also triggered by a bizarre temper and human nature as well as by personal ambitions,” he continued. “We cannot exclude the local inheritance of certain concepts of power, which still reside in some persons from a certain unfortunate sense of tribal superiority and domination, with such mental stance happening instead of projecting a humble, faithful and generous ministry.”

The Chaldean Catholic Church, he added, “is not to follow exclusively behind nationalist, political or partisan acts because it would make the Church lose its Christian ecclesiastic identity! Thus we reassure everyone that these difficulties, challenges and pressures which we are facing, will not stop us from cleaning and regenerating the Chaldean Church.”

 

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Further information:

• Patriarchal message in the occasion of two-year anniversary of my service (Chaldean Catholic Church)