“Wisdom is required to avoid the ‘volcano eruption’ we are about to face”, the Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad, Card. Louis Raphael Sako, said during the Epiphany Mass celebrated yesterday in Baghdad’s St. Joseph’s Cathedral, in front of the many faithful who attended the celebration despite the ongoing tensions in the Iraqi capital. According to the Chaldean Patriarchate, the Patriarch described the critical situation in Iraq and the region as a “volcano about to erupt due to the upsetting escalation, emotional and impulsive decisions, lacking wisdom and the sense of responsibility”. The Cardinal appealed to “the wise people around the world to avoid” this eruption, “because innocent people will be the fuel for such fire”. The Patriarch also invited both Christians and Muslims to pray for “decision-makers to act wisely and consider the consequences of their strategies, thoroughly”. Patriarch Sako then focused on the importance and significance of the Epiphany Feast for Christians, recalling “God’s love for the human being He created, in order to live a fraternal relationship of love and peace with each other”. “Let us thank God for everything” – Card. Sako concluded – and implore for the protection of our people, country, and the region”.