Situation of Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako

Question for written answer E-000163/2026/rev.1
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 144
Sander Smit (PPE), Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR)

Following the midnight mass by Cardinal Louis Raphaël Sako in Saint Joseph's Cathedral in Baghdad, Iraq, the word 'normalisation' - which he used in his homily - led to controversy. The Cardinal, a key Christian figure in the Middle East, subsequently received death threats[1].

The Christian community in Iraq has been under serious pressure since the war in that country in 2003. While, at the time, there were some 1.5 million Christians still living there, there are now just a few hundred thousand. Threats against spiritual leaders such as Cardinal Sako have direct consequences for the security and future prospects of this community.

• 1.What is the Vice-President / High Representative's position vis-à-vis these events in Iraq, including the death threats against Cardinal Sako? Does it publicly condemn them, and has it contacted the Iraqi authorities to ensure the safety of the Cardinal and of the Christian community in general?
• 2.In what manner does the Vice-President / High Representative coordinate diplomatic efforts with EU Member States to collectively bring pressure to bear on the Iraqi government at European level in order to protect the Cardinal and Christian minorities, including the Aramean heritage?
• 3.In what way has the Commission placed the safety and support of the Christian minority, including the active protection of Aramean and other millennia-old heritage, at the heart of its specific development policy and aid programmes in Iraq?

Submitted: 15.1.2026

• [1] https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/iraqi-cardinal-faces-threats-after.