Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
in
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
follow several different rites, but in 2022, most (82%) are members of the
Chaldean Catholic Church
The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic Catholic particular churches and liturgical rites, particular church (''sui iuris'') in full communion with the Holy See and the rest of the Catholic Church, and is ...
; about 17% belong to the
Syriac Catholic Church
The Syriac Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic '' sui iuris'' (self-governing) particular church that is in full communion with the Holy See and with the entirety of the Catholic Church. Originating in the Levant, it uses the West Syriac ...
, and the remainder are primarily Armenian, Greek and Latin-rite Catholics.
There has not been a census in Iraq since 2010, and there is no exact number of Christians in the country. Local leaders suggest that there were 150,000 Christians in 2022;
[US State Dept 2022 report]
/ref> however, other estimates suggested that there were 295,000 Catholics.[Catholics and Culture website, retrieved 2023-08-08]
/ref> All figures suggest that Catholics make up less than 1% of the country's population.
In 2020, there were 170 priests and 364 nuns serving across 143 parishes.diocese
In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...
s in Iraq and a Patriarchal See.
In 2019, the Archbishop of Erbil, in Kurdistan, warned that Catholicism and Christianity in general was in danger of becoming 'extinct' in Iraq due to persistent persecution from militant Islamic groups such as Daesh.
Pope Francis
Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936 – 21 April 2025) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 13 March 2013 until Death and funeral of Pope Francis, his death in 2025. He was the fi ...
visited Iraq in March 2021.
Dioceses and Eparchies
* Armenian Catholic Archeparchy of Baghdad
* Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Basra
* Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Erbil
* Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Kirkuk-Sulaimaniya
* Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Mosul
* Chaldean Catholic Diocese of Alquoch
* Chaldean Catholic Diocese of Aqrā
* Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of Amadiyah and Zaku
* Chaldean Catholic Archeparchy of Baghdad
* Chaldean Catholic Patriarchal See of Babylon
* Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Iraq
* Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Baghdad
* Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Baghdad
* Syriac Catholic Archeparchy of Mosul
* Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Exarchate of Basra and the Gulf
See also
*Religion in Iraq
Religion in Iraq dates back to Ancient Mesopotamia, particularly Sumer, Akkadian Empire, Akkad, Assyria and Babylonia between circa 3500 BC and 400 AD, after which they largely gave way to Judaism, followed by Syriac Christianity and later to ...
*Christianity in Iraq
The vast majority of Christianity, Christians in Iraq are indigenous Assyrian people, Assyrians who descend from ancient Assyria. They are considered to be one of the oldest and continuous Christians, Christian communities in the world.
Iraqi ...
* Freedom of religion in Iraq
* Latin Catholic Archdiocese of Baghdad
*Catholic Church by country
The Catholic Church is "the Catholic Communion of Churches, both Roman and Eastern, or Oriental, that are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome (the pope)."Richard P. McBrien. ''The Church: The Evolution of Catholicism.'' (New York: Harper ...
References
External links
GCatholic.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catholic Church in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
Iraq
Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...