”The Eastern Churches have a positive and active role to play, as we are an integral part of the universal Catholic Church. The Pontiff is the supreme leader of the whole Church, not just part of it.”
These are the words of Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Baghdad. He arrived in Rome to attend the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches, which began on 12 May – ongoing until 14 May. Interviewed by SIR, Cardinal Sako outlined the role of the Eastern Churches in the promotion of unity with the Orthodox Churches and interreligious dialogue:
“We can help promote the unity of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. We promote dialogue for peace and seek to foster an agreement based on unity and mutual respect between religions and peoples.”
For Cardinal Mar Sako, “hope is the cornerstone of this joint commitment; a hope that stems from faith and encourages us to put Jesus at the centre.” In this light, “Pope Leo XIV immediately showed the way forward. I hope that, among the Pope’s many collaborators, there will also be members of the Eastern Churches, thereby highlighting the universal nature of the Church.”
Interreligious dialogue and synodality. The Chaldean Patriarch believes that the Eastern Churches are also called to play a meaningful role in interreligious dialogue, particularly with regard to Islam and Judaism. “Pope Leo XIV promptly exhorted us to build bridges. I believe that the experience gained by our local Churches in this regard throughout history should be put to good use.” The Patriarch highlights the importance of dialogue based on everyday life and genuine coexistence, not just in theory.
“We are intimately acquainted with our own lives and with each other, in a way that those who only know Islam or Judaism from studying it do not. We pursue the dialogue of life.”
For the Cardinal, the tradition of synodality, distinctive to the Eastern Churches, is yet another valuable contribution. “I hope that Pope Leo XIV will broaden the group of nine cardinals (C9) forming the Council of Cardinals established by Pope Francis in 2013 to advise and assist the Pope on governing the Catholic Church.” Expanding this body, he explained, “would result in enhanced dialogue and increased participation in Church leadership.”
A new language for the digital world. The Patriarch of the Chaldean Church is open about the need for a renewal of language within the Eastern Churches. “We need to modernise our language because people, cultures, mentalities and sensibilities have changed. We must use a more comprehensible language to convey the liturgy and catechesis. The world is a digital village, so we must find a more accessible way to speak about Jesus, eternity and faith. This is true not only for Christian believers, but also for the believers of other faiths.” Attending the Jubilee of the Eastern Churches here in Rome, Mar Sako concludes, “is a sign of collegiality and communion: the Church is one and should not be considered in sectarian terms as either Eastern or Western. No one should be forgotten or marginalised.”
