When Pope Benedict XVI placed a red hat on Cardinal Emmanuel Delly of Iraq during a Nov. 24, 2007 consistory in St. Peter's Basilica, he was honoring not just the patriarch of the Chaldean church, but was elevating the plight of Iraqi Christians to the world's attention. Pope Benedict said in his homily that elevating the Chaldean leader was a way of "concretely expressing my spiritual closeness and my affection" for Iraq's Christian minorities. Cardinal Delly said he would stay in Iraq and continue to lobby political and religious leaders to work together to create peace and improve security in the country.

Two years later, the Holy Father had honored His Beatitude, Patriarch Emmanuel Delly for his braveness and for building bridges of peace and reconciliation among communities in Iraq. Cardinal Delly received from His Holiness the High Pontiff Pope Benedict XVI gift on occasion of his visit to his Holiness on November 27^th, 2009, in the Vatican. The gift consists of a golden Chalice inlaid with Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire, golden paten, and a golden/silver Catholic mass celebration set. The epoch of the gift is year 1857.

We are grateful to Chaldean businessman Akram Kareem for providing this info and the photos (see below)