Archbishop Louis Sako was enthroned on Wednesday as the new patriarch of the Iraq-based Chaldean Church during a mass in Baghdad broadcast on national television. He replaces Emmanuel III Delly, who retired in December after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 85 in the church, which is the largest Christian community in Iraq and recognises the authority of the pope. The ceremony was held in the Mar Yusuf cathedral in the Karrada area of central Baghdad, with main roads blocked off by security forces.

Bishops from the Iraq-based Chaldean Church elected the archbishop of Kirkuk as their new patriarch on Friday at a synod held in Rome instead of Baghdad for security reasons, church websites said. Louis Sako will replace Emmanuel III Delly who retired in December after reaching the age limit of 85 in the Christian church which recognises the authority of the pope. Sako was elected by 15 bishops from Iraq and other parts of the Middle East, as well as areas of North America and Europe with large Iraqi diasporas.