Pope Leo XIV honors Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani

Pope Leo XIV honors Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani
2026-08-20T20:17:30+00:00

Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) head Masoud Barzani has received the Order of Pope Pius IX (Pian Order), a high-level honorary medal from the Pope, in recognition of the Kurdish leader's role in protecting Christian and other ethnic and religious communities.

The honor was granted following a request by Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch Emeritus of the Chaldean Catholic Church, who met Barzani ahead of the announcement and praised his role in strengthening coexistence, peace, and stability in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and the wider region, and protecting the various communities.

Read more: The evolution of Kurdish power in Iraq: Governance, oil, and constitutional ambiguity

Read more: Iraqi Kurdistan’s pluralism: A living model of coexistence

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