The Speech of the Chaldean Church Administrator at the meeting with Pope Leo XIV

on Friday 10 April 2026

Your Holiness,

It is my pleasure to be here with my brother bishops of the Chaldean Church, gathered in the Synod in Rome, to offer Your Holiness our filial greetings and express our gratitude for your love and paternal care as we navigate this difficult situation in Iraq and the Middle East.

Thank you for receiving us, and we ask for your prayers and blessing so that the Synod may succeed in achieving its goal of electing a new Patriarch for our Church.

Our Church, in cooperation with its sister Churches, has always been a sign of hope, proclaiming the Good News of Christ and the Kingdom of God, and building a civilization of love.

We all know the importance of the Christian presence in Iraq and the Middle East, and its belief in coexistence with others, establishing a culture of peace, and affirming the dignity of the human person, for whom the Lord Jesus Christ worked.

We have a role to play in changing the minds of many so that they may reject the language of war, revenge, and violence, and embrace instead dialogue and fraternal love. Finally, on behalf of the bishops, I ask that you remain close to us as a loving father, and we reiterate our thanks and prayers for you, Holy Father.

Archbishop Habib Jajou

The Chaldean Patriarchate Administrator

April 2026