Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, the patriarch of Iraq's Chaldean Catholic Church and architect of Pope Francis' historic visit to the country in 2021, is a key interlocutor between the Iraqi government and its Christian minority.
For several months, Sako has been embroiled in a war of words with a Christian lawmaker, Rayan al-Kildani.
Kildani is the leader of the Babylon Movement, whose armed wing is part of Hashed al-Shaabi -- a network of largely pro-Iran paramilitaries that were integrated into Iraqi security forces in recent years.
Tensions have intensified since early July, drawing in President Abdul Latif Rashid who cited constitutional grounds in a decision to revoke a presidential decree Sako deems pivotal for his official status and for the administration of church property.