His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona celebrates the Divine Liturgy at the Altar of the Chair of Saint Peter in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Thursday, 15 October 2026, joined by bishops, priests, religious sisters and faithful of the Chaldean Church who travelled from Iraq and abroad. Photo source: Chaldean Patriarchate.

Ishtar TV.com

A historic gathering of Chaldeans from Iraq and the diaspora renews ties to their homeland, Aramaic language and faith, while highlighting the challenges of preserving identity and addressing the situation of their community in Iraq.

Chaldean Catholics from Iraq and around the world gathered at the Vatican, bringing with them the faith and longstanding traditions of their Church. The meeting combined the joy of coming together with their Patriarch and concerns about the future of their community at home and abroad, following decades of war, persecution and emigration.

In a video report published by EWTN News as part of its EWTN News Nightly programme, titled “Chaldean Catholics From Around the World Unite at the Vatican,” journalist Romy Haber highlighted the significance of the gathering. It gave Chaldeans an opportunity to celebrate the Divine Liturgy presided over by their Patriarch, His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona, and to reaffirm their connection to their Church, heritage and historical identity.

A Gathering Reuniting a People After Years of Emigration

The participants’ testimonies reflected the joy of meeting in one place, particularly among members of Chaldean towns whose communities have been scattered by emigration and persecution.

One young participant said she had come to see the Patriarch, who hails from her hometown of Alqosh, and expressed her happiness at attending in traditional dress to show her support. She noted that the people of her town had endured years of persecution and that emigration had forced many to leave, making their reunion at the Vatican an especially moving occasion.

One of the priests described the gathering as a historic day for Chaldeans around the world, who had come together to celebrate their Patriarch’s Divine Liturgy in communion with the universal Catholic Church.

He emphasised that the Chaldean Church is an ancient Church whose liturgical language, Aramaic, is connected to the language spoken by Jesus Christ. He also noted that its faithful are now spread across many countries as a result of persecution and other circumstances, describing it as a Church founded on the blood of martyrs.

Two Challenges Facing the Church: Homeland and Diaspora

The EWTN News report highlighted how the large Chaldean diaspora has placed two major responsibilities before the Church: supporting those who remain in Iraq despite the persecution and difficulties they have endured, and helping Chaldeans abroad preserve their faith, rites and traditions in societies with cultures different from their own.

In this context, one participating priest warned of the risk of cultural identity being lost when people move into larger and more influential societies. He explained that preserving the heritage of communities abroad is no less important than safeguarding what remains of it in the homeland after years of persecution.

He expressed optimism that the vision of His Beatitude Mar Paul III Nona was moving in the right direction towards addressing these challenges and ensuring the continuity of the Church and its identity.

Advocacy in Australia for the People of Iraq

The challenges discussed in the report extended beyond religious and cultural concerns to include the political, economic and security situation of the community in Iraq.

Another priest explained that members of the Church in Australia closely follow political and financial developments in Iraq. They maintain contact with members of parliament and engage in advocacy to encourage discussion of ways to protect their people.

He stressed the Church’s responsibility to pass on faith, language, rites and history to future generations, expressing hope that younger generations would continue to preserve the legacy entrusted to them by their predecessors.

His testimony showed that the concerns of Chaldeans in the diaspora extend beyond maintaining their identity within their new societies. They also include monitoring the circumstances of their community in Iraq and working towards its safety and future.

Aramaic Rites Connecting East and West

At the conclusion of the report, the presenter described the Chaldeans’ gathering at the Vatican and their celebration of the Divine Liturgy, with prayers and rites in Aramaic, as a beautiful moment of reunion. It also highlighted the richness of the Catholic Church through its Eastern and Western traditions.

The gathering underscored the contrast at the heart of the Chaldean experience today: the joy of coming together to celebrate faith and heritage, alongside continuing concerns about the future of their community in Iraq and the ability of younger generations abroad to preserve their language, rites and identity.

For the participants, the gathering at the Vatican was more than a Church occasion. It was an opportunity to renew bonds among a people separated by war and emigration and to affirm that preserving Chaldean heritage requires continued connections between the homeland and the diaspora.

Hundreds of bishops, priests, religious sisters and faithful of the Chaldean Church from Iraq and abroad participated in the Divine Liturgy at the Vatican. Photo source: Chaldean Patriarchate.