View source for Louis Raphael I Sako

{{Infobox Christian leader
| type             = Patriarch
| honorific-prefix = His Beatitude
| name             = {{unbulleted list|Louis Raphaël I Sako|ܠܘܝܣ ܪܘܦܐܝܠ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܣܟܘ}}
| honorific-suffix = 
| native_name      = 
| native_name_lang = 
| title            = [[Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans]]
| image            = 
| image_size       = 
| alt              = 
| caption          = 
| church           = 
| archdiocese      = 
| province         = 
| metropolis       = 
| diocese          = 
| see              = [[Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon]]
| elected          = 31 January 2013
| appointed        = 1 February 2013
| term             = 
| term_start       = 
| quashed          = 
| term_end         = 
| predecessor      =[[Emmanuel III Delly]] 
| opposed          = 
| successor        = 
| other_post       = Chaldean Archbishop of Baghdad
<!---------- Orders ---------->
| ordination       = 1 June 1974
| ordinated_by     = 
| consecration     = 14 November 2003
| consecrated_by   = [[André Sana]]
| cardinal         = 
| rank             = 
<!---------- Personal details ---------->
| birth_name       = Louis Sako
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1948|07|04|df=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Zakho]], [[Iraq]]
| death_date       = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) -->
| death_place      = 
| buried           = 
| nationality      = 
| religion         = [[Chaldean Catholic Church|Chaldean Catholic]]
| residence        = Iraq
| parents          = 
| spouse           = 
| children         = 
| occupation       = 
| profession       = 
| previous_post    = {{unbulleted list|Archbishop of Kerkūk (2002–2013)}}
| education        =
| alma_mater       = 
| motto            = 
| signature        = 
| signature_alt    = 
| coat_of_arms     = Coat of arms of Louis Raphael I Sako.svg
| coat_of_arms_alt = 
<!---------- Sainthood ---------->
| feast_day        = 
| venerated        = 
| saint_title      = 
| beatified_date   = 
| beatified_place  = 
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| canonized_date   = 
| canonized_place  = 
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| attributes       = 
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| shrine           = 
| suppressed_date  = 
<!---------- Other ---------->
| other            = 
}}
{{Ordination
| date of diaconal ordination =
| place of diaconal ordination =
| ordained deacon by =
| date of priestly ordination =1 June 1974
| place of priestly ordination =
| ordained priest by =
| date of consecration = 14 November 2003
| place of consecration = 
| consecrated by       = [[André Sana]]
| co-consecrator1       = [[Shlemon Warduni]]
| co-consecrator2       = [[Paulos Faraj Rahho]]
}}
'''Louis Raphaël I Sako''' ({{lang-syr|ܠܘܝܣ ܪܘܦܐܝܠ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܣܟܘ}}) (born 4 July 1948) is the current [[Chaldean Catholic Patriarchate of Babylon|Chaldean Catholic Patriarch of Babylon]] and the Head of the [[Chaldean Catholic Church]] since his [[Appointment of Catholic bishops|election]] on 1 February 2013.

== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Sako was born in the city of [[Zakho]] on the Iraq–Turkey border. He is ethnically Assyrian and from a community that has had a religious presence in the city since the 5th century AD. <ref>Chabot, "Synodicon orientale", 676</ref>Before he was ordained a bishop, then-Fr Sako had demanded to see President [[Saddam Hussein]] after the Iraqi Government refused to allow him to teach religious education. Saddam refused his request but the cleric responded by doing a separate doctorate and, because it had little religious content, the Government gave him his teaching licence, which enabled him to teach the subject.<ref>[http://www.thetablet.co.uk/latest-news/5045] {{dead link|date=March 2014}}</ref>

On 1 February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI granted him ''ecclesiastica communio'' (ecclesiastical communion)<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.news.va/en/news/vatican-abp-louis-sako-elected-patriarch-of-the-ch | title=Abp. Louis Sako elected Patriarch of the Chaledean Church | publisher=News.va | date=February 1, 2013 | accessdate=February 1, 2013}}</ref> which the leaders of the [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern-rite Catholic churches]] seek as a sign of their unity with the wider Catholic church.<ref name="catholica1">{{cite web|url=http://press.catholica.va/news_services/bulletin/news/30411.php?index=30411&lang=en |title=Elezione del nuovo Patriarca di Babilonia dei Caldei (Iraq) |publisher=Press.catholica.va |date= |accessdate=2013-12-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsofttranslator.com/BV.aspx?ref=IE8Activity&a=http%3A%2F%2Fpress.catholica.va%2Fnews_services%2Fbulletin%2Fnews%2F30412.php%3Findex%3D30412%26lang%3Den |title=Granting of Ecclesiastica Communio to the new Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans |publisher=Microsofttranslator.com |date= |accessdate=2013-12-28}}</ref> Patriarch Louis Raphaël I Sako speaks Syriac, German, French, English, Italian, and Arabic.<ref name="catholica1"/>

Sako was ordained a [[Priesthood (Catholic Church)|priest]] on 1 June 1974 for the Chaldean Archeparchy of [[Mosul]]. After his election and subsequent confirmation in 2003 he was consecrated the [[Chaldean Catholic]] [[Eparch|Archeparch]] of [[Kirkuk]] on 27 September 2003. He was elected to the position by a synod of bishops of the Chaeldean Catholic Church on 24 October 2002.<ref>{{Catholic-hierarchy|bishop|bsako|Patriarch Louis Raphaël I Sako|23 January 2015}}</ref> He was awarded the Defensor Fidei prize in 2008 and in 2010, he was awarded the International [[Pax Christi]] Award.

In August 2009, and at the beginning of [[Ramadan]], Sako sent out an appeal for national peace, reconciliation and end to violence along with other religious leaders in Kirkuk. Archeparch Sako explained that this is "a gesture of closeness to our Muslim brothers. We are all brothers, sons of the same God we must respect and cooperate for the good of the people and our country. " "Iraq – said Msgr. Sako – needs reconciliation and dialogue”. The participants included representatives of Ali Sistani and Muqtada al Sadr.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gheddo |first=Piero |url=http://www.asianews.it/news-en/In-Kirkuk-Christian-and-Muslim-leaders-for-dialogue-and-reconciliation-16181.html |title=In Kirkuk Christian and Muslim leaders for dialogue and reconciliation |publisher=Asianews.it |date= |accessdate=2013-12-28}}</ref>
Sako has stated that he would go against a centuries old tradition of wearing the traditional Assyrian head cover "shash".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/nel-mondo/dettaglio-articolo/articolo/caldei-sako-papa-pope-el-papa-21930/ |title=Il patriarca che rinuncia al "Shash" – Vatican Insider |publisher=Vaticaninsider.lastampa.it |date=2013-02-04 |accessdate=2013-12-28}}</ref>

=== As Patriarch ===
The Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Catholic Church, convoked in Rome on 28 January 2013, electing him Patriarch of Babylon in succession of [[Emmanuel III Delly]] who had resigned because of old age. Sako chose Louis Raphael I as his regnal name.

In July 2014 Sako led a wave of condemnation for the [[Islamic State of Iraq and Syria|Sunni Islamists]] who demanded Christians either convert, submit to their radical rule and pay a religious levy or face death by the sword. At the Vatican, [[Pope Francis]] decried what he said was the persecution of Christians in the birthplace of their faith, while U.N. Secretary-General [[Ban Ki-moon]] said the Islamic State's actions could constitute a crime against humanity.Hundreds of Christian families left Mosul ahead of Saturday's ultimatum, many of them stripped of their possessions as they fled for safety. They formed the remnants of a community which once numbered in the tens of thousands and traced its presence in Mosul to the earliest years of Christianity.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/20/us-iraq-security-christians-idUSKBN0FP0R120140720?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=%2AMideast%20Brief&utm_campaign=2014_The%20Middle%20East%20Daily_7.21.14 Iraq Catholic leader says Islamic State worse than Genghis Khan]</ref>

In September 2014 he said “The U.S. is indirectly responsible for what is going on in Iraq as it said it would ensure democracy and the well-being of the people, but 10 years have passed and on the contrary we have gone backward,” Sako told reporters at Beirut's airport. He was responding to a question following remarks attributed to him in the local daily Ad-Diyar in which he accused the U.S. of supporting ISIS. Sako had also criticized Muslim countries for lack of support. “Our Muslim neighbours did not help us,” he said, as he urged Muslim preachers to issue a religious ruling against the killing of all innocent people. “Issuing a fatwa preventing Muslims from killing fellow Muslims is not enough,” Sako said.<ref>[http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Aug-28/268782-chaldean-patriarch-sako-says-us-behind-isis.ashx#ixzz3CAEVgSUD In Kirkuk Christian and Muslim leaders for dialogue and reconciliation |date=2009-08-29  |accessdate=2014-09-23]</ref>

In October 2014, Patriarch Sako suspended 10 priests that fled Iraq after they refused an order to return to the country. <ref>{{cite news |title=Chaldean Catholic patriarch suspends 10 priests, including 1 from El Cajon |last=Phillips |first=Preston|url=http://www.10news.com/news/chaldean-catholic-patriarch-suspends-10-priests-including-1-from-el-cajon-10222014 |publisher=KGTV | date=2014-10-22 |accessdate=2015-05-17}}</ref> The priests, including Fr. Noel Gorgis, who has lived in the United States for 20 years, appealed to [[Pope Francis]] for relief from the order. In January 2015, Pope Francis granted permission to the 10 to remain in the United States. <ref>{{cite news |title=Pope to El Cajon priest: stay put
 |last=Popescu, first=Roxana| url=http://m.utsandiego.com/news/2015/jan/08/chaldean-priest-vatican-safety/ |publisher=San Diego Union Tribune |date=2015-01-08 |accessdate=2015-05-18}}</ref>  Patriarch Sako later renewed his order despite the Pope's decision.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chaldean patriarch defies pope, orders priests back to Iraq |url=http://www.sandiego6.com/news/local/Chaldean-Patriarch-of-Iraq-defies-Pope-and-orders-local-Chaldean-priests-back-to-Iraq-288358501.html?m=y&smobile=y |publisher=XETV San Diego 6 |accessdate=2015-05-18}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-rel|ca}}
{{s-bef|before=[[André Sana]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Kirkuk (Chaldean Archdiocese)|Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Kirkuk]]|years=2003–2013}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Yousif Thomas Mirkis]]}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Emmanuel III Delly]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of Chaldean Catholic Patriarchs of Babylon|Patriarch of Babylon <br>of the Chaldean Catholic Church]]|years=2013–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}

{{Persondata
| NAME             = Sako, Louis Raphaël I
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = [[Chaldean Catholic]] [[Eparch|Archeparch]] of [[Kirkuk, Iraq]]
| DATE OF BIRTH     = 4 July 1948
| PLACE OF BIRTH    = [[Zakho]], [[Iraq]]
| DATE OF DEATH     =
| PLACE OF DEATH    =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sako, Louis Raphael I}}
[[Category:1948 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Chaldean Catholic Patriarchs of Babylon]]
[[Category:Iraqi Assyrian people]]
[[Category:21st-century Roman Catholic archbishops]]
[[Category:Eastern Catholic bishops]]
[[Category:Iraqi Eastern Catholics]]
[[Category:People from Zakho]]
[[Category:Iraqi archbishops]]
[[Category:Iraqi bishops]]
[[Category:Chaldean Catholics]]
[[Category:Chaldean archbishops]]
[[Category:Pontifical Urbaniana University alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches]]