Paulos III Nona, newly elected Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, will return to Iraq to assume his position after having been expelled from Mosul in 2014 by the Islamic State, at a time when the Chaldean Church is seeking to rebuild after the recent internal crisis.
From Mosul to exile: a Church forced to flee
According to the Iraqi Christian Foundation, Nona was the Chaldean archbishop of Mosul when, in the summer of 2014, ISIS terrorists took the city and forced the exodus of Christians.
The jihadist offensive led to the near-total emptying of one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. Nona, along with other ecclesiastical leaders, had to abandon the city along with his faithful.
Years of ministry outside Iraq
After those events, he was appointed in 2015 as Chaldean archbishop of Australia and New Zealand, moving his ministry outside Iraq at a time when the Christian presence in the country was going through one of its most critical stages.
During these years, the diaspora became one of the main destinations for Iraqi Christians fleeing violence and persecution.
Return as head of the Chaldean Church
More than a decade after the fall of Mosul, Nona has been elected Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, the largest Christian community in Iraq.
His taking possession is scheduled for the end of May 2026 in Baghdad, in a ceremony that will mark his return to the country where he exercised his ministry before the emergence of terrorism.
A symbol for Iraqi Christians
The return of Nona as patriarch carries strong symbolic weight for the Iraqi Christian community, which in recent years has suffered displacements, persecution, and a notable reduction in its presence in the country.
His election and return are interpreted as a sign of continuity and reconstruction for a Church that seeks to remain in its land of origin despite the difficulties.