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Church in Iraq
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News

Iraqi cardinal faces threats after ‘normalization’ remark

The cardinal said he was the victim of a disinformation campaign that included an AI-generated audio clip.

Luke Coppen
Jan 02, 2026
∙ Paid

Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako has said he received threats following a Christmas address that was misinterpreted as calling for the normalization of ties with Israel — a crime in Iraqi law.

Cardinal Louis Raphaël I Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Credit: Screenshot from chaldeanpatriarchate.com.

The head of the Chaldean Church, one of the 23 E…

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