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Rudaw Net
23-04-2025
- Health
- Rudaw Net
One dead in Kirkuk due to Congo fever
Also in Iraq Iraq, France FMs discuss regional stability, security ties Rising profile of Iraqi cardinal as papacy candidate stirs debate in Iraq Unfinished Stories: The Republic of Factions Former Kirkuk governor released on bail amid corruption charges A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A butcher lost his life in Kirkuk on Wednesday amid an outbreak of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a health official said, days after the disease claimed the lives of two people in the city. 'Today, a 52-year-old citizen, who was a butcher, died due to hemorrhagic fever,' Kirkuk health directorate spokesperson Saman Yaba told Rudaw. Yaba also confirmed that a 37-year-old nurse tested positive for the disease. 'She is currently under medical supervision,' he said. CCHF is a highly contagious virus that can be transmitted to humans through several routes, including contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, bites from infected ticks, direct exposure to bodily fluids of infected individuals, and consumption of raw or undercooked meat from infected livestock. While some cases present with mild symptoms, the disease is frequently fatal. Severe symptoms may include internal bleeding, coma, and multi-organ failure affecting the liver, kidneys, and respiratory system. The World Health Organization estimates the fatality rate can reach up to 40%. CCHF has been endemic in Iraq since 1979, but has seen a resurgence since 2021, particularly in the southern provinces, raising public health concerns. At least 22 people across Iraq have been infected with CCHF since the beginning of the year, according to statistics from the health ministry released Wednesday, three of whom have died.
Rudaw Net
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Rising profile of Iraqi cardinal as papacy candidate stirs debate in Iraq
Also in Iraq Unfinished Stories: The Republic of Factions Former Kirkuk governor released on bail amid corruption charges Families of victims revisit Anfal atrocities at notorious desert prison in southern Iraq More than 90 Yazidi families return to Shingal A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The head of Iraq's Babylon Movement, Rayan al-Kildani, on Tuesday criticized speculation about the next papal successor, stressing that the process is guided by spiritual reflection and not campaigning. His remarks come amid rising interest in Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Iraq's Chaldean Patriarch, who is among 136 cardinals eligible to elect - and be elected as - the next pope. In a statement posted on his official Facebook page, Kildani censured 'some people's remarks about electing the Pope' as revealing 'a blatant ignorance of church procedures.' He added that 'cardinals alone choose the Pope' who 'is elected and not nominated.' 'There is no nomination or election campaigning, but rather prayer, contemplation, and selection by the Holy Spirit,' he insisted. Kildani also argued that Sako is not the sole representative of the Middle East among the cardinal-electors, pointing to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Maronite Patriarch of Antioch Bechara Boutros al-Ra'i in Lebanon. Of note, the Babylon Movement is the political wing of the Babylon Brigade, a Christian armed group that operates under the umbrella of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), that are closely -aligned with Iran. It currently has four out of the five seats reserved for Christians in Iraq's 329-member parliament. Kildani's remarks notably followed Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's public endorsement of Sako on Tuesday, as the 'sole nominee' from the Middle East for the papacy. 'His Beatitude is widely respected both locally and internationally, and he plays a vital role in advancing peace and fostering interfaith tolerance,' Sudani added in a statement on X. Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died at age 88 on Easter Monday following a stroke. The Pope's death follows a period of ill-health that saw him spend five weeks in hospital with double pneumonia. The debate over who his successor would be began shortly after his hospitalization. For its part, the Chaldean Patriarchate stated Tuesday that while public comments and expressions of support reflect 'admiration, they carry no bearing on the formal selection process.' Though the Patriarchate did confirm that Sako is among 136 cardinals, under the age of 80, who are eligible to participate in a future papal conclave and to be considered for the papacy. The process entails 'private gatherings focused on prayer and reflection,' with each participant voting independently and in confidence, the Chaldean Patriarchate elaborated. Notably, Sudani in June reinstated Cardinal Sako as Chaldean Patriarch in Iraq, after President Abdul Latif Rashid in July 2023 revoked a 2013 presidential decree recognizing Sako as Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church. The Presidential Decree 147/2013 had affirmed Sako's status as head of the Chaldean Church and the legal caretaker of its endowment before the Iraqi state. Rashid then stated that the repeal of the decree 'is not an attack on the Chaldean Church nor Iraq's much valued Christian communities,' and that its 'reversal is motivated by the fact that 'the decree simply has no constitutional backing.' The revocation prompted backlash from Iraq's Christian community, especially as it followed a meeting between President Rashid and the head of the Babylon Movement, Kildani. Sako then issued a statement accusing Kildani of orchestrating an 'unfairly played 'game'' to sideline him, and accused the head of the Babylon Movement of orchestrating a campaign against him to seize control of Christian properties and endowments. The Cardinal further relocated to the Kurdistan Region, before returning to Baghdad at Sudani's request and following his reinstatement as Patriarch in June. Sako was born in Zakho in the Kurdistan Region's Duhok province, in July of 1948. According to the Vatican's Press Office, Sako was ordained a priest in 1974 and pursued advanced studies in Eastern patrology in Rome and history at the Sorbonne. He became Archbishop of Kirkuk in 2003 and Chaldean Patriarch in 2013. He was also a President Delegate at the 2018 Synod on Young People. A scholar and author, he is fluent in Arabic, Syriac, German, French, English, and Italian.
