Patriarch warns Iraqi Christians against voting for ‘armed group’ affiliates

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church on Thursday sternly warned Iraqi Christians against voting for candidates affiliated with armed groups that "control their destinies" and dominate their towns in the Christians’ northern Iraqi heartland of Nineveh. At the same time, he urged Christians to turn out in high numbers for Iraq’s upcoming legislative elections on November 11.

“The Chaldean Church rejects that Christians be represented by individuals whose corruption is exposed, or by armed groups that control their destinies and dominate their towns in the Nineveh Plain,” said Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako in a statement.

“We will not accept the Christian component becoming fuel for these intrusive parties,” he stipulated.

Quota powerplay

While the Patriarch did not explicitly name any group, his remarks are widely believed to be directed at the Babylon Movement, led by Rayan al-Kildani, which has established a prominent presence in Nineveh's political scene - particularly in relation to the Christian quota seats in the Iraqi parliament.

The Iraqi parliament reserves five out of its 329 seats for the Christian component, as part of the quota system, which aims to guarantee representation for minority groups, whose population numbers have significantly declined due to conflict and migration.These five seats are specifically distributed across the provinces of Baghdad, Nineveh, Kirkuk, Dohuk, and Erbil, which are areas with historical or significant Christian presence.

The Iraqi parliament reserves five out of its 329 seats for Christians, under a quota system designed to ensure representation for minority groups whose populations have drastically declined. These five seats are distributed across the provinces of Baghdad, Nineveh, Kirkuk, Duhok, and Erbil - areas with significant or historical Christian communities.

The Babylon Movement, formed around 2014 by Kildani, initially emerged as an armed faction - the Babylon Brigade, 50th Brigade - within the Iran-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) that fought alongside Iraqi forces against the Islamic State (ISIS) in the Nineveh Plain.

Since then, the movement has transitioned into a powerful political force, particularly focused on Christian quota seats. Its influence grew notably in the 2018 parliamentary elections, when it secured two seats.

That success expanded significantly in the October 2021 elections, where the group won four out of five Christian-reserved seats nationwide - a dominance further cemented in the December 2023 provincial council elections.

However, this electoral power remains highly controversial.

Many Christian leaders, including Cardinal Sako, have publicly asserted that the Babylon Movement does not genuinely represent the Christian community. Critics claim the group secures its victories largely through votes from non-Christian allies.

In his Thursday statement, the Patriarch revealed that a formal proposal had been submitted to prevent majority parties from influencing the election of minority representatives.

“We had formally demanded … that voting be restricted to the Christian component as a legal solution to guarantee their representation,” he said. “But no one listened to us.”

“Unfortunately, the Iraqi government has failed for more than 15 years to protect the rights of minorities and to take binding measures to ensure justice for them and preserve their representation and role,” he lamented.

Despite the setbacks, the Patriarch concluded that Christians will push to “realize this constitutional right that guarantees their future and solidifies their presence." He also reaffirmed the Chaldean Church “will not succumb to injustice,” underlining that its “loyalty to Iraq and love for Iraqis remains boundless.”

Bad blood

This is not the first time underlying intra-Christian tensions have risen to the surface.

Following the passing of Pope Francis in late April, debate quickly emerged over who might succeed him.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani then publicly endorsed Cardinal Sako as a potential “nominee” from the Middle East. “His Beatitude is widely respected both locally and internationally, and he plays a vital role in advancing peace and fostering interfaith tolerance,” Sudani stated on X.

Cardinal Sako was named among the 136 cardinals under the age of 80 who are eligible to participate in a future papal conclave and be considered for the papacy.

Seemingly irked by the Patriarch’s rising profile, Kildani then criticized speculation about the next papal successor, stressing that the process is guided by spiritual reflection and not campaigning.

In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Kildani censured “some people's remarks about electing the Pope” as revealing “a blatant ignorance of church procedures.” He added that “cardinals alone choose the Pope” who “is elected and not nominated.”

“There is no nomination or election campaigning, but rather prayer, contemplation, and selection by the Holy Spirit,” he insisted.

Prior to that, in June 2024, Sudani reinstated Cardinal Sako as Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq, after President Abdul Latif Rashid in July 2023 revoked a 2013 presidential decree recognizing him as Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

The Presidential Decree 147/2013 had affirmed Sako’s status as head of the Chaldean Church and the legal caretaker of its endowment before the Iraqi state.

Rashid then stated that the repeal of the decree “is not an attack on the Chaldean Church nor Iraq’s much valued Christian communities,” and that its “reversal is motivated by the fact that “the decree simply has no constitutional backing.”

The revocation prompted backlash from Iraq’s Christian community, especially as it followed a meeting between President Rashid and the head of the Babylon Movement, Kildani.

Sako then issued a statement accusing Kildani of orchestrating an “unfairly played ‘game’” to sideline him, and accused the head of the Babylon Movement of orchestrating a campaign against him to seize control of Christian properties and endowments.

The Cardinal further relocated to the Kurdistan Region, before returning to Baghdad at Sudani’s request and following his reinstatement as Patriarch in June.