Speaking to Austrian diplomats and policymakers in Vienna Sept. 24, he described the sharp decline as part of a broader crisis facing Christianity in the region, Agenzia Fides reported.
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During his remarks, the patriarch reflected on the challenges Christians in Iraq have faced over the past two decades. He cited years of armed conflict, religious extremism, and systemic discrimination as major contributors to the population's steep decline.
Once numbering over a million, Iraq's Christian community has now dropped below half that figure, he said.
Cardinal Sako pointed to multiple causes of this displacement, including the rise of groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda, ongoing sectarian tensions, and the impact of militia violence. He also noted that some legal structures -- such as Iraq's "Personal Status Law" -- have contributed to marginalization, including by making provisions that enable the Islamization of minors.
Cardinal Sako also rejected claims a militia founded in 2014 made that the organization speaks on behalf of Christians. The patriarch said such representation is neither legitimate nor helpful.
To prevent further emigration and support those considering return, Cardinal Sako recommended restoring properties lost to conflict, providing financial compensation, and enhancing security through official government forces rather than local militias.
He also called for Iraq to become a country where equal rights are guaranteed to all, regardless of religious affiliation. Achieving that vision, he suggested, would require moving past sectarian divisions and embracing a constitution grounded in secular and democratic values.
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