Iraq: Information on whether His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid holds the highest position in the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | IRQ26822.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Iraq: Information on whether His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid holds the highest position in the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq, 1 June 1997, IRQ26822.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab9c4.html [accessed 30 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
For general information on the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and on His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid, please consult the attached documents. For a brief biographical overview of Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid please consult the attached L'Église d'Orient : Chrétiens d'Irak, d'Iran et de Turquie (1995 pp. 383-390; 396-400), especially p. 398. For a confirmation of Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid's position in the Catholic hierarchy, please consult the attached 1996 and 1997 issues of Annuario Pontifico and the 1996 issue of Almanach Populaire Catholique (p. 433).
The following information was provided during a 3 June 1997 telephone interview with the Vicar General of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of the United States who recently returned from a Synod of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Lebanon.
The Vicar General stated that His Beatitude Patriarch Raphael I Bidawid holds the highest position in the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Vicar General, Chaldean Catholic Diocese of the United States, Troy, Michigan. 3 June 1997. Telephone interview.
Attachments
Agence France Presse (AFP). 17 March 1997. "Catholic Chaldean Church to Hold May Synod in Lebanon." (NEXIS)
_____. 4 July 1995. Eastern Time. Farouk Choukri. "Pope Opposes Embargo on Iraq's Innocent." (NEXIS)
Almanach Populaire Catholique [Montréal]. 1996. Ste-Anne de Beaupré: Québecor l'Éclaireur, p. 433.
Annuario Pontifico [Vatican]. 1997. Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, pp. 1102-1103.
_____. 1996. Vatican: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, pp. 1106-1107.
Associated Press (AP). 20 November 1994. Eastern Time. Neil MacFarquhar. "Wars, Sanctions Push Christianity Monirity Out of Iraq." (NEXIS)
LeCoz, Raymond. 1995. L'Église d'Orient : Chrétiens d'Irak, d'Iran et de Turquie. Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, pp. 383-390; 396-400.
United Press International (UPI). 7 September 1995. BC Cycle. "Iraqi Patriarch to See Pope on Embargo." (NEXIS)
