Cardinal Louis Sako, leader of the Catholic Chaldean Church in Iraq and worldwide, cast doubt on the conclusions of an Iraqi government investigation regarding the Hamdaniyah wedding fire, in which over 100 people were killed.
On social media Sept. 7, Al-Kildani shared photos and videos that seemed, at least to some observers, to imply that he had a private meeting with Pope Francis.
Pope Francis waves to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican at his general audience on Sept. 13, 2023. / Credit: Vatican Media
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 13, 2023 / 17:46 pm (CNA).
An Iraqi Christian figure involved in a dispute with the leader of the Catholic Church in the country was not, as he has implied online, granted a private audience with Pope Francis, the Vatican clarified on Tuesday.
Rayan Al-Kildani, whose name means “Rayan the Chaldean,” is a Christian lawmaker and leader of the paramilitary group the “Babylon Brigades.” He has previously been sanctioned by the United States for alleged human rights abuses, including the cutting off of a detainee’s ear.
In addition, Al-Kildani has publicly clashed with the leader of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Cardinal Louis Sako, over allegations by Sako that Kildani has been extorting Christians in the Nineveh Plains, a historically Christian but embattled region. Sak
Rayan Al-Kildani is a Christian lawmaker & leader of the paramilitary group the Babylon Brigades. He has been sanctioned by the US for alleged human rights ab.
The Chaldean Catholic Patriarch in Iraq, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, decided to withdraw from the patriarchal headquarters in Baghdad. The move is in response to a "campaign" waged against him by the "Babylonian" movement. Sako is an important figure for the Christian minority and political leaders in the country, and was the godfather of Pope Francis' visit to Iraq in 2021. The decision to withdraw the decree does not prejudice his religious or legal status, the presidency said.