Chaldean Archbishop of Erbil: ‘The Whole Middle East Is Burning’

Ten years ago he was on the frontline over helping over 13,000 families who fled the terrorists of ISIS and found refuge in Erbil — since then he has overseen the reconstruction of towns and villages, but has also watched tens of thousands of his faithful leave the country in search of stability and peace abroad.

In recent months, the archbishop has also been a prominent figure in an internal and unresolved disputebetween the patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, and a group of bishops which includes Warda .

Warda sat down with The Pillar at the end of a recent visit to Europe, made at the invitation of Aid to the Church in Need.

The archbishop addressed briefly the burgeoning rift in the Chaldean Catholic Church, while refusing to discuss the details. But he did speak in length about the experience of Christianity in Iraq after ISIS, of the sometimes difficult relationship with Islam, of the role Christians play in the Middle East at the moment and of his hopes for a lasting peace in the Holy Land.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity

Continued below.