Hopes are high, ahead of the meeting of the Catholic patriarchs of the Middle East with the Pope. Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, which is in full communion with Rome, recently spoke to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), remarking that he expects much from the meeting. “We are hoping for greater closeness towards our Churches in these difficult times. We need more support from the Holy See, more encouragement and more solidarity.” Patriarch Louis Raphael expressly thanked Pope Francis and his predecessors for being on the side of the Christians in the Middle East. During the approaching Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, which will take place in Rome from 19th to 21st November, the Eastern Catholic patriarchs and archbishops will confer together with Pope Francis and pray for peace in the Middle East.
Chaldean Patriarch Ahead of Meeting With Pope: ‘We Fear for Our Survival’