Lebanese Christians refusing to flee war zone, fearing occupation of homeland
Southern Lebanon’s Christian communities rejected Israeli evacuation orders, saying they fear permanent displacement amid hostilities, according to a Beirut migrant shelter leader.
“We know for a fact that many of the Christians, in particular the poorest and some of the older Christians, made the decision to not leave southern Lebanon,” Jesuit Father Daniel Corrou told “EWTN News Nightly” in a March 10 interview. Corrou oversees a public shelter for migrant workers in the southern suburbs of Beirut and is the regional director of Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in the Middle East and North Africa.
“Their fear was that if they did leave, that they would never be able to get their land back again, that it would be occupied by some group — whether it was Israeli, or whether it was other local groups here,” he said.
The interview comes after Father Pierre El-Rahi, a Maronite priest in southern Lebanon, was killed in an Israeli bombing on March 9.
“The Israelis have asked for a mass evacuation from all of southern Lebanon, south of the Litani River,” Corrou said. “They did the same for Dahieh, a neighborhood in southern Beirut — there were 700,000 people in the area where they forced a mass evacuation. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced as a result.”
Corrou described hearing drone strikes overhead “all day long,” saying: “This is our reality.”
The priest said while many Lebanese Christians in the south have refused to abandon their homes, “in order to maintain the Christian presence along the border with Israel,” many refugees and migrant workers and refugees from countries including Sudan, Yemen, and Sri Lanka, have sought safety at his shelter.
He emphasized the vulnerability of this demographic, noting that they lack the support system most Lebanese people have through their families, communities, or political organizations.
“The one thing that they have is their faith community,” he said.
“For 40 years, the Christians here have known this church to be a safe haven,” Corrou said. “When things go bad, they have for 40 or 50 years shown up on our doorstep. As they’ve done before, they brought their Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim brothers and sisters with them.”
“That’s what happened on early Monday morning when the war began again,” he said. “As it had happened in 2024, they showed up on our doorstep, and unfortunately, we were ready and happy to welcome them, but it’s a terrible circumstance.”
Pope Leo calls Maronite priest killed in bombing ‘a true shepherd’
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday remembered Father Pierre El Raii, a Maronite priest who died after being wounded in an Israeli bombing in southern Lebanon, and described him as “a true shepherd” who remained with his people despite the war.
El Raii was killed on March 9 while going to the aid of a parishioner wounded in a earlier attack, according to Father Toufic Bou Merhi, a Franciscan of the Custody of the Holy Land, who spoke with Vatican media.
At the end of his weekly general audience in St. Peterʼs Square, Leo commented on the March 11 funeral of El Raii and the war affecting villages in southern Lebanon.
“I am close to all the Lebanese people at this time of grave trial,” he said.
“In Arabic, ‘El Raii’ means ‘the shepherd,’” the pope said.“Father Pierre was a true shepherd, who always remained close to his people, with the love and sacrifice of Jesus the Good Shepherd. As soon as he heard that some parishioners had been wounded by a bombing, he rushed to help them without hesitation. May the Lord grant that his blood shed be a seed of peace for beloved Lebanon.”
In his appeal, Leo also called for prayers for peace in Iran and throughout the Middle East, “especially for the many civilian victims, including many innocent children.”
“May our prayer be a comfort to those who suffer and a seed of hope for the future,” he said.
A Church open to others
In his audience catechesis, the Holy Father reflected on the nature of the Church and emphasized that it “can never turn inwards on herself,” but must be “open to everyone and … for everyone.”
“In the Church there is, and there must be, a place for everyone, and every Christian is called to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness in every environment in which he or she lives and works,” he explained.
Although believers in Christ belong to the Church, the Second Vatican Council reminds us that “All men are called to belong to the new people of God,” the pope said.
In his talk, Leo continued his reflection on the dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium, focusing on the document’s second chapter, devoted to the People of God — one of the central parts of ecclesiology.
“The Church is one but includes everyone,” he said to thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square.
Henri de Lubac and Vatican II
The pope quoted Cardinal Henri de Lubac, SJ, one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century and a key figure of the Second Vatican Council, to describe the Church: “The unique Ark of Salvation must welcome all human diversity into its vast nave.”
For this reason, he noted that the People of God “shows its catholicity, welcoming the wealth and resources of different cultures and, at the same time, offering them the newness of the Gospel to purify them and to raise them up.”
The pope said that the Church is a people in which “women and men of different nationalities, languages and cultures live together in faith.” For this reason, he presented it as “a sign placed in the very heart of humanity, a reminder and prophecy of that unity and peace to which God the Father calls all his children.”
Every Christian, the pontiff emphasized, is called to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness in the environments in which he or she lives and works.
“Even those who have not yet received the Gospel are therefore, in some way, oriented towards the people of God,” he affirmed.
Christ gathers the new people
During the catechesis, Leo XIV highlighted that the history of the ancient people of Israel constitutes a preparation for the new covenant that God establishes in Jesus Christ. Quoting Lumen gentium, the pope recalled that “All these things, however, were done by way of preparation and as a figure of that new and perfect covenant, which was to be ratified in Christ.”
He explained that it is Christ who, “in giving his body and his blood, unites this people in himself and in a definitive way.” This people is now composed of men and women from every nation and “is united by faith in him, by adherence to him, by living the same life as him, animated by the Spirit of the Risen One.”
In this way, he continued, the Church is born — understood as the People of God “who draw their existence from the body of Christ and who are themselves the body of Christ.”
“It is not a people like any other,” he emphasized, but a community called together by God and made up of people from all the peoples of the earth.
Its unity “is not a language, a culture, an ethnicity, but faith in Christ.” As the Council says, the Church is “the assembly of all those who in faith look upon Jesus,” he added.
A messianic people
The pontiff also explained that the Church is “a messianic people,” because it has Christ, the Messiah, as its head.
“Above any task or function, what really matters in the Church is to be grafted onto Christ,” he said. This, he explained, is the only “honorary title we should seek as Christians:” to live as children of the Father and as brothers and sisters among ourselves.
Consequently, he affirmed that the fundamental law governing relationships within the Church is “love,” as it is received and experienced in Christ.
Leo concluded his catechesis by highlighting the prophetic value of the Church in today’s world. The Church, he said, “is a great sign of hope — especially in our times, traversed by so many conflicts and wars — to know that the Church is a people in which women and men of different nationalities, languages and cultures live together in faith.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
During Lent, a bishop invites people to practice ‘spiritual intelligence’
The bishop of San Ignacio de Velasco in Bolivia, Robert Flock, reviewed the different types of intelligence and encouraged the development of “spiritual intelligence,” which allows one to move from a mere understanding of things to true wisdom.
Recalling his youth, the prelate noted that intelligence was measured according to mathematical and verbal abilities. Later, at the university, he became aware of the existence of emotional intelligence, “through which one can perceive, understand, and manage one’s own emotions and those of others,” he recalled.
However, citing psychologist Howard Gardner, he referred to “multiple intelligences,” different forms that include: linguistic-verbal, logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical-auditory, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, emotional, existential, creative, and collaborative.
“Naturally, this list does not include artificial intelligence, which is not a human capacity but a computer tool that is beginning to dominate information searches,” the prelate clarified.
However, Flock emphasized a type of intelligence that he considers “the most important”: spiritual intelligence.
“At first glance, it sounds like existential intelligence, No. 10, which is defined as ‘meditation on existence, including the meaning of life and death,’ but this would be a superficial understanding, ironically lacking in intelligence, because spiritual intelligence is being attuned to God,” he explained.
“Spiritual intelligence allows us to move from a mere understanding of things to true wisdom. It is the only one that can unite and harmonize all the others and ensure that they are used wisely,” he added.
“All the phrases in the Lord’s Prayer emanate from the spiritual intelligence of Jesus Christ, as do his parables and other teachings, his miracles, and his final sacrifice.”
Jesus, the prelate noted, “embodied all forms of intelligence, except for artificial intelligence, which he did not need.”
“The risen Jesus opened the intellect of his disciples so they could ‘understand the Scriptures’; that is, he gave them the gift of spiritual understanding so that they could not only understand the Bible but also converse with God at all times,” he emphasized.
“This is not the opiate of the masses, as someone lacking spiritual understanding has said. It is life in abundance. This is what Lent is for!” he explained.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Lebanon asks Vatican to help protect threatened Christian villages in the south
Lebanon is asking the Vatican to stand with Christian villages in the southern part of the country. In recent days, these communities were widely praised across Lebanese and international media after residents chose to remain in their homes despite the dangers around them. Caught between Hezbollah infiltrations and Israeli strikes, villagers insisted on staying in their ancestral lands.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Youssef Raggi, said on Tuesday he had contacted the Holy See to raise concerns about the situation. In a phone call with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, Raggi discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the difficult conditions facing border villages in the south.
He also asked the Holy See to intervene and mediate in order to help preserve the Christian presence in those villages, whose residents, he noted, have consistently supported the Lebanese state and its official military institutions.
Gallagher, for his part, affirmed that the Holy See is making the necessary diplomatic contacts to help halt the escalation in Lebanon and prevent the displacement of citizens from their lands. He also assured that Lebanon remains in the prayers of Pope Leo.
A worsening crisis for southern Lebanon’s Christian villages
The foreign ministerʼs appeal comes as the situation for Christian border villages grows increasingly dire.
On Monday, Father Pierre Rahi was killed in an Israeli strike on the Christian village of Qlayaa. According to local reports, Hezbollah militants had infiltrated the town, turning it into a potential target. Residents alerted Father Rahi, who reportedly went to confront the armed men and asked them to leave the village. The strike that followed killed him.
His death shocked Lebanon and drew attention across the Catholic world, where many saw in him as a hero and shepherd who chose to remain with his community despite the dangers.
It was not the first such tragedy. The day before, Youssef Al-Ghafri, a Christian farmer, was killed in the town of Alma al-Shaab in similar circumstances.
On Tuesday, United Nations peacekeepers from UNIFIL escorted residents of Alma al-Shaab out of the village as they evacuated their homes. The residents had hoped to remain and had appealed for the Lebanese army to deploy and protect the town, but the protection did not materialize, forcing families to leave.
There are now growing fears that other Christian towns along the border could face the same fate. The mayor of Rmeish, for example, said he received a warning call from an Israeli officer stating that the town itself is not considered a target, but that it would become one if Hezbollah militants entered it.
The problem, residents say, is that these villages lack the presence of the Lebanese army needed to prevent such infiltrations, making it extremely difficult for local communities to control the situation.
Caught between Israeli strikes and Hezbollah’s military adventures, Christian villagers fear they are paying the price of a conflict they oppose — at risk of becoming not only collateral damage, but also pawns in a wider regional confrontation.
According to reports from An-Nahar, the Apostolic Nuncio to Lebanon, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, has scheduled a visit to the Christian border villages next Friday in a gesture of solidarity with their residents and in rejection of any plans that could lead to the displacement of those who remain. The visit aims to encourage villagers to remain in their homes and on their land despite the growing dangers.
In addition, according to MTV Lebanon, the United States has intervened, in coordination with Israel, to help protect Christian villages in southern Lebanon. However, the sources said the main challenge remains the absence of the Lebanese army in these areas, which has made it difficult to prevent Hezbollah militants from entering the villages and turning them into potential targets.
Several cardinals show grave concern about Iran war; McElroy says it’s not a just war
Several members of the Catholic hierarchy are expressing grave concerns about the American and Israeli military conflict with Iran, and at least one cardinal said the U.S. decision to launch the initial attacks fails to meet the criteria of a “just war” based on Catholic criteria.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28 amid inconclusive U.S.-Iranian negotiations related to uranium enrichment. In response, Iran launched strikes on U.S. bases and forces, Israel, and the Gulf states.
“At this present moment, the U.S. decision to go to war against Iran fails to meet the just war threshold for a morally legitimate war in at least three requirements,” Cardinal Robert McElroy, archbishop of Washington, D.C., said in an interview with the archdiocesan Catholic Standard.
McElroy noted that the Church recognizes six conditions for a war to be just. The war must be waged by a proper authority, it must have a just cause, it must have the right intention, it must have a reasonable chance of success, it must be a last resort, and the damage caused by the war must not be more harmful than the evil it is meant to destroy.
“The criterion of just cause is not met because our country was not responding to an existing or imminent and objectively verifiable attack by Iran,” McElroy said.
McElroy said the “right intention” criterion is also not met: “One of the most worrying elements of these first days of the war in Iran is that our goals and intentions are absolutely unclear, ranging from the destruction of Iran’s conventional and nuclear weapons potential to the overthrow of its regime to the establishment of a democratic government to unconditional surrender.”
At times, Trump has said he would potentially work with new Iranian leaders but has also urged the Iranian people to overthrow the government at other times. The previous supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a strike and has been replaced by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. Iran has not shown any interest in returning to negotiations or making more concessions since the war began.
McElroy also said “it is far from clear that the benefits of this war will outweigh the harm which will be done.” He called the Middle East “the most unstable region in the world, and the most unpredictable.”
“Already the war has had unintended consequences,” McElroy said. “Iran’s morally despicable decision to target its neighbors in the region has spread the expanse of destruction. Lebanon may fall into civil war. The world’s oil supply is under great strain. The potential disintegration of Iran could well produce new and dangerous realities. And the possibility of immense casualties on all sides is immense.”
More cardinals echo concerns
Other cardinals have also publicly conveyed their concerns about the conflict, including Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
Parolin told Vatican News that “this erosion of international law is truly worrying: justice has given way to force; the force of law has been replaced by the law of force.”
He said people in the Middle East, including Christians, have been “plunged into the horror of war, which brutally shatters human lives, brings destruction, and drags entire nations into spirals of violence with uncertain outcomes.”
“The Holy See prefers to recall the need to use all the instruments offered by diplomacy in order to resolve disputes among states,” Parolin said. “History has already taught us that only politics — through the hard work of negotiation and attention to balancing interests — can increase trust among peoples, promote development, and preserve peace.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, criticized the administration’s characterization of the war, especially an X post from the White House that showed videos of American strikes with the caption “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY” in all capitalized letters.
In a statement, Cupich said “more than 1,000 Iranian men, women and children lay dead after days of bombardment,” and added: “A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it’s a video game — it’s sickening.”
“Hundreds of people are dead, mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, including scores of children who made the fatal mistake of going to school that day,” he added. “Six U.S. soldiers have been killed. They are also dishonored by that social media post. Hundreds of thousands displaced, and many millions more are terrified across the Middle East.”
Following the publication of the statement, a seventh member of the U.S. armed forces was confirmed dead.
Cupich accused the government of “treating the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for our own entertainment, as if it’s just another piece of content to be swiped through while we’re waiting in line at the grocery store.” He warned that “in the end, we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military.”
Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, vice president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), raised similar concerns as Cupich, and commented on how technology changes how war is conducted.
“From distant command centers, military operators stare at screens where maps, radar signals, and algorithm-generated targets move like icons in a computer game,” he told Vatican News. “A cursor moves. A coordinate is selected. A click is made. And a missile is launched."
When asked about who benefits from the war and who does not, David said “industries that manufacture weapons” benefit financially from the conflict.
“Certainly not the families who bury their dead,” David said. “Certainly not the workers who suddenly find themselves trapped in a war zone far from home. Certainly not the poor nations that will absorb the economic shock.”
Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, archbishop of Naples, wrote a critique of the war in poetic form in Italian, addressed to the “merchants of death.”
“I write to you from this trembling land,” he wrote. “It trembles under the footsteps of the poor, under the crying of children, under the silence of the innocent, under the fierce noise of the weapons you have built, sold, blessed by your cynicism.”
Battaglia asked those perpetuating the war to “stop,” to “convert,” and to listen to the words of Jesus Christ, as expressed in the Beatitudes.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God,” Christ said in Matthew 5:9.
Pope Leo XIV confers title of 'monsignor' on U.S. bishops’ general secretary
Pope Leo XIV has bestowed the designation of “chaplain to His Holiness” upon Father Michael J.K. Fuller who serves as the general secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The pontifical honor comes with the title of “monsignor” following Fuller’s work serving the U.S. bishops for the past decade in a variety of roles. Fuller was ordained a priest in 1997 in the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois.
“In his work, Father Fuller has demonstrated a pastoral heart, a theologian’s mind, and a worthy steward’s deft guiding hand,” said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the USCCB, when he announced the news at the bishop’s Administrative Committee meeting.
“Last fall my predecessor, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, along with Father Fuller’s ordinary, Bishop David Malloy of Rockford, desired to bring an awareness of the exemplary priesthood and work of Father Fuller to the Holy Father,” Coakley said. “Together it was proposed that Father Fuller be duly recognized for his priestly life and his service to the broader Church as a seminary formator, a theologian, and as General Secretary.”
In 2016, Fuller began his work with the USCCB serving as the head of the Secretariat for Doctrine and Canonical Affairs. He later joined the offices of the General Secretariat in 2021.
In his position as general secretary, Fuller has supported the work of the USCCB by coordinating administrative matters through the Office of the General Secretary. The office closely follows the work of the bishops’ committees and is responsible for the coordination of activities and staff.
With Fullerʼs leadership, the General Secretariat is also responsible for the preparation and arrangements of meetings for the Administrative Committee and Plenary Assemblies and for the maintenance of the USCCB’s files and archives.
Monsignor Fuller
Prior to entering seminary formation, Fuller spent two years in Swaziland, Africa, as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Fuller holds a doctorate in sacred theology, a master of divinity, a licentiate of sacred theology, and a bachelor of sacred theology from the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, where he has since served as an instructor, assistant professor, and chair of the Department of Christian Life.
Prior to his service with the USCCB, Fuller served as spiritual director and instructor for the Diaconate Formation Program of the Diocese of Rockford, and as instructor for the Diaconate Formation Program of the Archdiocese of Chicago.
He also taught at the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and at St. Anthony School of Nursing, in Rockford.
Fuller was the editor of the Chicago Studies Theological Journal, and has a number of scholarly publications in other journals. He is the author of two books, “Daily Prayer 2008” and “The Virgin Martyrs: A Hagiographical and Mystagogical Interpretation.”
Vatican promoting dialogue on Cuba, Cardinal Parolin says
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the Holy See is promoting dialogue on Cuba and has taken “the necessary steps” with the aim of encouraging a negotiated solution to the problems facing the island.
“For Cuba as well, we have done what we had to do, we met with the foreign minister and we took the necessary steps, always with a view to a dialogue-based solution to the problems that exist,” Parolin said in comments to several media outlets, including the Holy See’s official news outlet, Vatican News.
The cardinal made the remarks March 9 in Rome on the sidelines of the second edition of the interreligious initiative “Il Tavolo del Ramadan–Iftar,” dedicated to encounters among Christian, Jewish, and Muslim representatives.
Parolin’s comments come amid intensified diplomatic contacts involving Cuba. On Feb. 28, Pope Leo XIV received Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla in audience at the Vatican. Rodríguez attended as special envoy of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.
After the meeting, the Cuban foreign minister publicly thanked the pontiff on X, writing: “I deeply thank His Holiness Leo XIV for the honor of receiving me in audience as Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Cuba.”
The visit by Cuba’s top diplomat came days after another significant meeting in Rome on the situation in Cuba. On Feb. 20, the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Mike Hammer, met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s secretary for relations with states, to discuss conditions in the Caribbean nation and the “important role” played by the Catholic Church in Cuban society.
In comments to EWTN after that meeting, Hammer said Cuba is at a decisive moment and expressed hope that the country will soon attain “the freedom it has not had in 67 years.”
“If there is freedom, there will not be suffering because there will be the necessary change. How will it happen? Well, that is what we are working on,” the U.S. diplomat said in an interview with EWTN.
Eight days after that meeting, Rodríguez Parrilla traveled to the Vatican, where he met with both Leo XIV and Parolin.
Also on March 2, a group of Cubans in exile in Miami led by Rosa María Payá — founder of Cuba Decide and daughter of the late dissident leader Oswaldo Payá — signed what they call a Liberation Agreement for Cuba, a 10-step roadmap to restore “democracy and the rule of law” on the island.
The Holy See has repeatedly played a mediating role between Cuba and the United States. The most recent example came during the administration of President Joe Biden, when the Vatican helped facilitate efforts that led to the release of 553 prisoners in Cuba in exchange for the removal of Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Parolin also addressed the growing military escalation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which has spread to other countries in the Middle East. He said the Holy See continues to keep channels of communication open with all parties in an effort to prevent a broader conflict.
“It is necessary to have open dialogue with everyone so that this immense tragedy now unfolding does not continue to expand instead of being contained,” he said.
The secretary of state said one of the defining characteristics of Vatican diplomacy is its willingness to remain in contact with all sides involved.
“The Holy See speaks with everyone and, when necessary, also speaks with the Americans and the Israelis, presenting what, in our view, could be solutions,” he said.
Parolin also referred to the killing of Maronite Father Pierre El-Rahi, pastor of Qlaya’a in Lebanon. The priest died after going to help a parishioner and was later struck by a bombardment.
Leo XIV expressed his “deep sorrow” that same day over the priest’s death and for all the victims of the recent bombings in the Middle East, including many civilians and children, according to the Vatican press office’s Telegram channel.
“Unfortunately, the Church too is a victim of this situation; we are not exempt or immune from what the population is suffering,” Parolin said.
The cardinal also warned of the risk that the Christian presence in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East could continue to decline because of war, instability, and growing hatred.
“It is a risk the Holy See has always denounced. War, destabilization, and conflict certainly do not favor the presence of Christians,” he said, underscoring that the situation is an additional cause of concern for the Vatican.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.
Chaldean patriarch steps down after 13 years, pope accepts resignation
Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, announced that he submitted his resignation to Pope Leo XIV of his own free will on the morning of March 9 so he could “dedicate himself quietly to prayer, writing, and simple service.”
Sako said that the pope accepted it and agreed to delay its official announcement and publication until noon the following day, at Sako’s request.
A ministry marked by love
“To put an end to speculation,” the Chaldean patriarch stressed that he had requested resignation of his own accord and that no one had asked him to do so. After 13 years on the patriarchal see — years he described as marked by “care, love, attentiveness, and flourishing” — he said he had led the Chaldean Church and safeguarded its institutions “under extremely difficult circumstances and amid great challenges,” sparing no effort in defending the Church and the rights of Iraqis in general and Christians in particular.
Sako noted that he had previously announced his intention to submit his resignation upon turning 75, in keeping with earlier decisions of the Chaldean Synod that his predecessors had not implemented. He said he discussed the matter with the late Pope Francis, who encouraged him to remain.
He expressed confidence in God’s care for his Church and his hope that, “in these difficult times,” the Chaldean Catholic Church would be led by a patriarch who believes in renewal, openness, and dialogue, and who possesses sound theological formation, courage, and wisdom. He emphasized that he would respect his successor and would not interfere in his work.
Sako also said that he had written his will while still a priest and later updated it, specifying the money he possesses from his salaries over 52 years of priestly ministry and what he inherited from his family. He said his true wealth lies in his devoted service, in addition to the 45 books he has published.
‘Remember me in your prayers’
He concluded by thanking God for his abundant blessings and expressing gratitude to his family and to all those with whom he lived and whom he served as a priest in Mosul, as a bishop in Kirkuk, and then as patriarch in Baghdad. He also asked forgiveness “from the bottom of my heart from all those whom I have hurt.”
Sako offered special thanks to his auxiliary, Bishop Basil Yaldo, to his secretary, to the priests of Baghdad, and to those working in the patriarchate. While assuring them all of his prayers, he asked them in return: “Remember me in your prayers.”
Sako the priest, bishop, and patriarch
Sako, born in one of the villages of Zakho in Iraq’s Duhok province on July 4, 1948, was elected patriarch of the Chaldean Church on Jan. 28, 2013, succeeding Patriarch Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly. Pope Benedict XVI confirmed his appointment on Feb. 1, 2013, and he was formally installed on March 6 of the same year.
On June 28, 2018, the late Pope Francis elevated him to the rank of cardinal in recognition of his notable contributions and distinguished service. Sako often took pride in the fact that his patriarchate witnessed the first papal visit to Iraq, when Pope Francis made his historic trip to the country in March 2021.
Challenges and crises
During the 13 years of his patriarchate, Sako faced several major challenges, most notably repeated confrontations with the Babylon Movement and its leader, whom the Chaldean patriarch described as “an armed militia that has seized Christians’ political and financial resources.”
In a related development, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in July 2023 revoked Presidential Decree No. 147 of 2013 concerning the “appointment” of Louis Sako as patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide and as head of its endowments. At the time, the patriarchate described the move as “unprecedented in the history of Iraq.” Sako subsequently withdrew from Baghdad to the patriarchate’s summer residence in Ankawa, Erbil, in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. He returned nine months later in response to an invitation from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who issued a decree naming Sako patriarch of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide and entrusting him with oversight of its endowments.
Several Iraqi media outlets also stirred controversy over the cardinal’s comments about his unique experience in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV, describing them as a disclosure of conclave proceedings, whose secrecy all cardinals swear to protect before the assembly begins.
Today’s announcement by the Holy See of the acceptance of the resignation of Bishop Emanuel Hana Shaleta, bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle of San Diego, and the appointment of Bishop Saad Hanna Sirop as apostolic administrator, also recalled the Chaldean Patriarchate’s recent call for accuracy and caution against misleading information circulated by some media outlets and social media regarding “allegations and complaints” involving several of its bishops.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, the Arabic-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated for and adapted by EWTN News English.
Before being killed in a strike, priest in Lebanon declared: 'We will remain until death'
In recent days, Christian villages in southern Lebanon have garnered widespread attention across media and social networks, praised for their resilience and peaceful resistance as many residents chose to remain in their homes despite the dangers of ongoing hostilities.
But on Monday, that resilience took a tragic turn. What had become a symbol of persistence turned into a scene of martyrdom, when a Catholic parish priest was killed in an Israeli strike that hit the border village of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon.
Father Pierre Al Rahi, who had chosen to remain with his parishioners, died alongside the community he refused to abandon. Pope Leo XIV expressed sorrow over the death on March 9.
According to local media reports, Hezbollah militants infiltrated the Christian town, turning it into a target for Israeli airstrikes. Residents alerted Rahi, who reportedly went to confront them and ask them to leave the village. The strike that killed him occurred around that time.
In one of his last television interviews before the strike, Rahi said: “We will remain here until death.”
It was not the first time he had expressed such determination. During a previous round of the war in 2024, speaking from the same village of Qlayaa, he said: “We will not leave. We are projects of martyrdom, and we will not abandon our land.”
His death sparked strong reactions among Lebanon’s Christian community, particularly from political and religious leaders. Fingers were pointed at both Israel and Hezbollah. In a statement, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea confirmed that Hezbollah fighters had infiltrated the village of Qlayaa, triggering Israeli strikes that led to Rahi’s death.
Father Dani Dergham, known for his political activism, wrote on X that during both the current war and previous rounds of fighting, Rahi had repeatedly warned about the presence of armed men among the peaceful residents of his town.
Meanwhile, a video also circulated online showing Father Hanna Khoury, another priest from Qlayaa, saying that anyone whose presence or activities in the village are unknown should be considered a threat to the community, reflecting fears among residents about the infiltration of Hezbollah militants into the town.
Rahi was not the only victim of the strikes. Several residents were injured, and earlier, community pages from Christian villages in southern Lebanon also announced the death of a Christian farmer, Sami Youssef Al-Ghafri — from the nearby town of Alma Al-Shaab — who was killed in the shelling.
Christian residents of southern Lebanon have also been calling for the deployment of the Lebanese Army in their towns.
They say they wish to remain on their land, fearing that if they evacuate, Hezbollah could use their villages to launch rockets, exposing them to destruction. Some also express concern that if Israel launches a ground operation, displacement could lead to the loss of their land.
Priest reported missing found dead in southern Mexico
Civil and Catholic Church authorities reported the discovery of the body of Father Juan Manuel Zavala Madrigal, a 53-year-old Mexican priest who had been reported missing since the night of Sunday, March 8, in the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico.
In a statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez stated that the priestʼs body was found near Laguna Verde, an ecotourism center located about 12 miles from his parish.
The priest served as vicar at St. Mark the Evangelist parish in the town of Ocotepec. According to local reports, the priest had left to celebrate Mass in another community; however, after the Mass his whereabouts became unknown.
According to the Ocotepec city council, the municipal public security directorate activated a search operation after receiving the report of his disappearance around 9:00 p.m. local time on Sunday.
The search efforts were carried out in coordination with neighboring townships; however, “during the first hours of the search, the results were negative, until the tragic discovery made near the ecotourism center today,” the city council stated.
The Chiapas state attorney generalʼs office reported that it has opened an investigation to determine what happened, in coordination with local authorities.
In its statement, the Archdiocese of Tuxtla Gutiérrez expressed confidence that the pertinent authorities will carry out “the necessary procedures to clarify what happened.”
The archdiocese also expressed its “closeness, solidarity and condolences” to Zavalaʼs family, as well as to his parish community and all the faithful “who are today dismayed by this painful loss.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.