Baghdad -- The Ancient Church of the East formally inaugurated its new patriarchal headquarters in Iraq's capital on Saturday, 14 February 2026, in a ceremony that blended ecclesiastical tradition with state participation and underscored the enduring presence of one of the country's most historical Christian communities.

The inauguration was led by Patriarch Mar Gewargis III Younan and attended by Member of Parliament Evan Jabro and Dr. Rami Joseph Aghajan, president of the Diwan of Christian, Yazidi and Mandaean Endowments. The government office oversaw the construction and full furnishing of the new headquarters, officials said, as part of its mandate to support Iraq's recognized religious communities.

The event drew senior clergy from various Christian denominations, priests, and representatives of Iraq's presidency, parliament and cabinet, as well as diplomats and cultural figures. The gathering reflected both the ecclesiastical significance of the occasion and its broader national symbolism.

In remarks delivered during the ceremony, Dr. Aghajan said the Diwan's support for the project stemmed from its national responsibility to care for all religious communities without discrimination. He described the new patriarchate as an expression of the state's commitment to equality, justice and peaceful coexistence among Iraq's diverse components.

Patriarch Mar Gewargis III Younan expressed gratitude for the government's backing, calling the new headquarters a spiritual and administrative center that would serve the faithful of the Ancient Church of the East in Iraq and throughout the diaspora. He said the building would strengthen the Church's pastoral mission and institutional work, both domestically and abroad.

Senior officials from the Diwan, including Wameed Jirjis Naji, director general of the engineering department, and Balsam Amer Mikhael, assistant director general for Christian affairs, accompanied Dr. Aghajan during a tour of the premises, where they reviewed the architectural and administrative features of the complex.

The Ancient Church of the East, which follows the Assyrian Rite, has its origins in the Church of the East. The original Church of the East now consists of three churches of the Assyrian Rite: The Ancient Church of the East, headquartered in Baghdad; the Assyrian Church of the East, headquartered in Arba'ilo (Erbil); and the Chaldean Catholic Church, headquartered in Baghdad.

Saturday's inauguration was presented by organizers as more than the mere opening of a building. It was, they said, a reaffirmation of continuity, a signal that Iraq's historic churches intend to maintain their spiritual, cultural and national role in the land long known as the cradle of Eastern Christianity.