New Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic church worldwide, Louis Raphael I Sako,64, meets with Pope Benedict XVI

Chaldean Americans across metro Detroit have expressed much enthusiasm about Louis Raphael I Sako being named the new patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. Sako was elected on Feb. 1, 2013, and is succeeding his predecessor Emmanuel III Delly, who resigned because of old age.  Sako, 64, promised to work at maintaining a lively Christian presence when asked about the continuous persecution of Christians in Iraq, and reportedly spoke about the topic in person with Pope Benedict XVI. Sako’s ordination as a priest was June 1974. He was also previously a bishop.