Prime Minister Barzani Condoles Cardinal Louis Sako on the Passing of His Brother Lazarus
KRG Prime Minister expresses personal condolences to the Chaldean Catholic Patriarch, praying for the soul of the departed and comfort for the family
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Kurdistan Region Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani sent a personal condolence message on Monday to Cardinal Louis Sako, Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, upon learning of the passing of the cardinal's brother, Lazarus Sako, expressing his sorrow and sharing in the family's grief.
"With deep sadness, I learned of the passing of your dear brother Lazarus Sako," Prime Minister Masrour Barzani wrote in his message. "I extend my condolences and sympathies to you and share in your sorrow. May Almighty God grant his soul paradise and bestow peace and tranquility upon your family."
The message reflects the close and longstanding relationship between the Kurdistan Region's leadership and Cardinal Louis Sako, one of the most prominent Christian religious figures in Iraq and the broader Middle East. Cardinal Sako personally visited KDP President Masoud Barzani on Thursday, August 20, 2026, and presented him with the Vatican's highest papal honor on behalf of Pope Francis, praising Barzani's historic role in protecting Christians and all national and religious components of Kurdistan and Iraq.
Cardinal Sako has been a consistent and outspoken advocate for the protection of Iraq's Christian communities, and has repeatedly praised the Kurdistan Region's leadership for the shelter and support extended to Christian and Yazidi families displaced by ISIS in 2014. The Kurdistan Region government's prompt personal condolence from its prime minister on the occasion of his brother's passing reflects the depth of that relationship and the respect in which the Kurdistan Region's leadership holds one of Iraq's most significant religious figures.