“The Patriarchate of Babylon of the Chaldeans has formally prohibited
the sale of land and houses belonging to the patrimony of the Church
without permission "of the high ecclesiastical authorities", Fides news
agency reports.
The restrictive provision was made public in a
statement on October 5 and makes explicit reference to the Holy See as a
last resort call to grant licenses for the sale of properties belonging
to the Church.”
“The text sent to Fides, recalls the Post-Synodal Apostolic
Exhortation Ecclesia in the Middle East (signed by Pope Benedict XVI)
along with other recommendations issued by the dicasteries of the Holy
See regarding the sale of church property, particularly in Countries in
the Middle East. The Patriarchate calls on all bishops and heads of
monasteries to take charge of the recommendations contained in the
note.”
“Since his election to the Patriarchal See of Babylon of the
Chaldeans, which took place at the end of January, the Chaldean
Patriarch, Louis Raphael I Sako has intervened several times on the
sensitive issue of the management of the assets belonging to the
Church.”