Vatican honors President Barzani for promoting coexistence
President Masoud Barzani has received one of the Vatican’s highest papal honors in recognition of his role in promoting peace, protecting religious and ethnic communities, and supporting a culture of coexistence in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
The Order of Pius IX was presented to President Barzani during his meeting with Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, Patriarch Emeritus of the Chaldean Catholic Church, on August 20. The award was granted by Pope Leo XIV following a request from Cardinal Sako, who said Barzani’s record in protecting communities and promoting human values deserved international recognition.
During the meeting, Sako praised President Barzani’s role in strengthening peace and stability in Kurdistan, Iraq and the wider region. He particularly highlighted his support for Christians and other ethnic and religious communities during periods of instability and conflict.
Sako said he had personally asked Pope Leo XIV to grant President Barzani the papal honor because of what he described as the Kurdish leader’s important contribution to peace and humanitarian values.
The Order of Pius IX is one of the major orders of knighthood awarded by the Holy See. Established by Pope Pius IX in 1847, it has traditionally been granted to political leaders, diplomats and other prominent figures in recognition of distinguished service. President Barzani was appointed a Knight of the Order of Pius IX.
For President Barzani, however, the recognition was also an opportunity to speak about a broader Kurdish tradition.
He thanked Pope Leo XIV and Cardinal Sako and said the people of Kurdistan were proud of the culture of coexistence, harmony and peace that had been passed down through generations.
President Barzani stressed that this culture must be protected, particularly the relationship between the different religious and ethnic communities living in Kurdistan.
“People’s behavior and actions are the main measure by which they should be judged, not their beliefs or religious affiliation,” President Barzani said.
The message reflected a theme that has long been part of President Barzani’s political discourse: that religious or ethnic identity should not determine a person’s place in society.
The award quickly drew reactions from political leaders and representatives of different communities in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani described the Vatican honor as important recognition of President Masoud Barzani’s historic role in defending the rights of religious and ethnic communities.
He said the award is a source of pride for the Kurdistan Region and recognition of its culture of coexistence, acceptance and tolerance.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said these values had become an important characteristic of Kurdish society. He also stressed that the Kurdistan Region would continue to be a peaceful and protected homeland for all communities and would defend diversity and the rights and freedoms of its people.
Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani also welcomed the honor, describing President Barzani as “a symbol of peace and coexistence” and a defender of the religious and national rights of Kurdistan and Iraq’s different communities.
“Under the leadership of President Barzani, the Kurdistan Region will, as always, remain an important and thriving center of peaceful coexistence in the region and the world,” the Prime Minister said.
The response extended beyond the Kurdistan Regional Government.
Farhad Atrushi, Deputy Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, described the Order of Pius IX as international recognition of President Barzani’s historic role and his efforts to protect peaceful religious coexistence.
Atrushi said the award also reflected the relationship developed between the Kurdistan Region, the Vatican, Christian churches and communities. He described the honor as recognition of President Barzani’s “historic role” and “honorable national positions.”
The Kurdistan Democratic Party bloc in the Iraqi Parliament offered a similar message. It said the Vatican’s decision represented clear international recognition of President Barzani’s role in protecting ethnic and religious communities and promoting peaceful coexistence.
The bloc said President Barzani’s approach to brotherhood and the protection of different communities would remain an important principle guiding its political and parliamentary work in Baghdad.
Representatives of minority communities also welcomed the award.
Aydin Maruf, the KRG Minister for Component Affairs, described President Barzani as a symbol of coexistence and social peace. He said Barzani had consistently supported the rights and demands of the different ethnic and religious groups living in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
Muna Nabi Qahwachi, Deputy Head of the Turkmen Reform Party, said the Vatican honor recognized President Barzani’s role in protecting peaceful coexistence, tolerance and the rights of different communities. She also pointed to his role in providing shelter to people affected by conflict and persecution.
The international dimension of recognition was also highlighted during a meeting between President Barzani and Radu Butum, Head of the European Union Liaison Office in the Kurdistan Region.
Butum, who met President Barzani as he prepared to end his mission in the Region, congratulated him on the Vatican honor and praised his role in protecting the rights of different communities and strengthening coexistence among the ethnic and religious groups of Kurdistan and Iraq.
During the meeting, President Barzani again placed the focus on Kurdistan’s social culture rather than himself.
“We are proud that we have inherited a rich culture of coexistence and harmony among different religions and ethnic groups, and I assure you that this culture will be protected and further strengthened,” he said.
The Vatican honor carries particular meaning because of the experiences of Iraq’s religious minorities over the past decades.
Those challenges became especially severe following the rise of ISIS in 2014. Christians, Yazidis and other communities were displaced from Mosul, the Nineveh Plains, Sinjar and surrounding areas and provinces. Large numbers sought safety in the Kurdistan Region.
The protection of these communities became one of the most visible parts of the Kurdistan Region’s response to the ISIS war and helped strengthen its relations with Christian institutions and the Vatican.
Those relations were highlighted again in 2021 when Pope Francis made his historic visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. During his visit to Erbil, the Pope met Kurdish leaders before holding Mass at Franso Hariri Stadium, attended by thousands of people.
President Barzani’s own relations with the Vatican have developed over several years. He met Pope Francis during a Vatican visit in 2014. In January 2026, he was also received by Pope Leo XIV, with their discussions focusing on peace, stability and ending the suffering caused by conflicts.
The Order of Pius IX adds another chapter to those relations.
For Cardinal Sako, the award recognizes a political leader who supported Christian and other communities during some of Iraq’s most difficult years. For Kurdish leaders, it carries a wider meaning: international recognition of the idea that coexistence has become part of Kurdistan’s political and social identity.
President Barzani’s own response was more direct. He presented the honor as recognition of values that he said belong to the people of Kurdistan.
His message was that coexistence is an inherited culture that must continue to be protected.
The Kurdish Globe