Rome (AsiaNews) John Paul II convokes a synod of Catholic Chaldean bishops, announced the Holy See's press office.
Some Iraqi and Diaspora bishops arrived in Rome today; others are due here by tomorrow morning. The meeting of Catholic prelates hailing from the "the country of two rivers" has been summoned in order to elect the new Chaldean patriarch of Babylon. Blessed Mar Rophael Bidawid, the last Chaldean patriarch, died this past July 7.
22 bishops were summoned to elect the new leader of the Catholic Chaldean community, who is the spiritual head of this eastern rite not only in Iraq but throughout the world.
The Chaldean community, of ancient origin, is now found spread across the globe from the United States and Canada to Iran, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria and includes nearly 1.5 million members. For thousands of years their spiritual center has been in Iraq, where the Patriarchate See is located. The choice of a new patriarch is particularly delicate due to the situation in Iraq. The future patriarch, in fact, will have the arduous task of preserving the rights of the Catholic Christian community in Iraq during this stage of transition.
Elections will take place at the Vatican from Dec. 1-3. According to predictions of Chaldeans residing in Rome, there are two "favorites": the first is Bishop Msgr. Shlimon Warduni, the patriarchal vicar of Baghdad who is well known to Iraq mass-media; the second is the Bishop of Kirkuk, Msgr. Louis Sako, who is also held in high esteem by Kurds in northern Iraq. (P.B.)