UGCC head greets newly elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) greeted the newly elected Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Information Departmant of UGCC informs.

“Your Beatitude, it is with great joy that I received the news that during the Holy Synod of the Chaldean Catholic Church held in Rome on January 28, 2013, you were elected as the new Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church and that you received Ecclesiastica Communio [ecclesial communion] from Pope Benedict XVI,” Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk stated in his letter of congratulations to Patriarch Louis Sako of the Chaldean Catholic Church.

In his letter the UGCC head assures the newly elected patriarch of prayers and brotherly support from the UGCC faithful: “We pray that the Lord Himself will be the source of strength for you in leading with wisdom and fatherly love the faithful which have been relegated to your pastoral care. Your Beatitude, please accept my assurances of brotherly communion and my best wishes,"

The Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Catholic Church took place in Rome. During the Synod, Louis Sako was elected head of this Church. He succeeds Cardinal Emmanuel III Deli, who resigned from the office due to ill health. According to the Vatican Press Service, the Holy Father in a special greeting wished the newly elected church Primate “successful pastoral work in the land of Abraham,” and wished all Iraq people the long-awaited peace, mutual understanding and harmony.