ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday received Patriarch Mar Paulus III Nona, the head of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and worldwide, underlining the importance of preserving the “coexistence” and “mutual acceptance” culture to be the focus of their discussions, said the Kurdistan Region Presidency.
A statement from the Presidency said he emphasized that “Christians are an indigenous part of Kurdistan and reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding their rights,” as both leaders shed light on “the general circumstances of the country’s communities” while placing “a particular attention” on Christians.
For his part, the Chaldean patriarch described the Kurdistan Region as “a sanctuary for all religious and ethnic communities.”
He also acknowledged Barzani’s "unwavering support for the rights of all communities.”
President Barzani affirmed to the Patriarch that “Kurdistan will always remain a homeland for all its communities, without distinction, and will continue to champion cultural pluralism.
The Kurdistan Region is predominantly Muslim, but prides itself as a protector of freedom of religion. When the Islamic State group (ISIS) seized control of vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014, thousands of Iraqi Christians sought shelter in the Kurdistan Region. Churches in Ainkawa took in many of their brethren before they were resettled in camps or emigrated abroad.
The Chaldean Catholic Church is Iraq's largest Christian denomination and one of the oldest Eastern Catholic churches, with significant communities in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, North America, Europe, and Australia. The church has faced decades of challenges stemming from conflict, instability, and emigration, which have dramatically reduced Iraq's Christian population.
A statement from the Presidency said he emphasized that “Christians are an indigenous part of Kurdistan and reaffirmed his commitment to safeguarding their rights,” as both leaders shed light on “the general circumstances of the country’s communities” while placing “a particular attention” on Christians.
For his part, the Chaldean patriarch described the Kurdistan Region as “a sanctuary for all religious and ethnic communities.”
He also acknowledged Barzani’s "unwavering support for the rights of all communities.”
President Barzani affirmed to the Patriarch that “Kurdistan will always remain a homeland for all its communities, without distinction, and will continue to champion cultural pluralism.
The Kurdistan Region is predominantly Muslim, but prides itself as a protector of freedom of religion. When the Islamic State group (ISIS) seized control of vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014, thousands of Iraqi Christians sought shelter in the Kurdistan Region. Churches in Ainkawa took in many of their brethren before they were resettled in camps or emigrated abroad.
The Chaldean Catholic Church is Iraq's largest Christian denomination and one of the oldest Eastern Catholic churches, with significant communities in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, North America, Europe, and Australia. The church has faced decades of challenges stemming from conflict, instability, and emigration, which have dramatically reduced Iraq's Christian population.
.png&w=3840&q=75)
