Iraqi Cardinal: Secular State Is ‘Only Future’ for Mideast Christians
26 Apr 2021
ROME — Iraqi Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako has reiterated his call for the creation of non-confessional states in the Middle East that give equal standing to all citizens, regardless of their religion.
“I think the only future for countries in the Middle East is to set up a secular regime, and to respect religion,” Cardinal Sako said this weekend, during a virtual panel discussion titled, “The Future of Christianity in the Middle East,” organized by Fellowship and Aid to the Christians of the East (FACE).
Sako, who is the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad, was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis in 2018, a move viewed by many as recognition of his leadership during the years of harsh persecution of Christians under the Islamic State terror group.