Israeli police prevented the highest-ranking representative of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem from accessing Christianity's most sacred site to celebrate Palm Sunday. The Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Father Francesco Ielpo were detained in front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, considered the site of Jesus Christ's crucifixion, where they planned to celebrate a mass to commemorate the start of Holy Week, according to church authorities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that followers of “all religions” had been asked not to visit sites in Jerusalem's Old City for security reasons following recent attacks perpetrated by Iran. However, the measure has drawn sharp criticism from both international community leaders and the church. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called it an “unfortunate excess,” which was “difficult to understand or justify.” “First time in centuries” The Cardinal Pizzaballa's office stated that it was “the first time in centuries” that a Latin Patriarch had been denied access to that sacred place on Palm Sunday, which marks Christ's return to Jerusalem. Pizzaballa and Father Ielpo had been “forced” to leave the church, where it is also believed that Christ was buried and subsequently rose again. “This incident constitutes a dangerous precedent and demonstrates a lack of consideration for the sensitivity of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem,” the patriarchate stated in a statement. “This hasty and fundamentally erroneous decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents a serious departure from the fundamental principles of reason, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.” The patriarchate affirmed that it had complied with all “imposed restrictions” and had acted responsibly since the beginning of the war, adding that the decision on Sunday was “an evidently terrible and severely disproportionate measure.” “Security Concerns” Netanyahu stated that the police had acted due to “special” security concerns and that a plan was being formulated to allow church leaders to hold religious services at the site in the coming days. The traditional Palm Sunday procession into the city had already been canceled due to public gathering restrictions. Israeli police said all holy sites in the Old City had been closed to worshippers for security reasons since the war between the U.S. and Israel against Iran began on February 28, and that the patriarchate's request for an exemption for Palm Sunday had been rejected. Netanyahu stated that holy sites belonging to Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities have been “repeatedly targeted” by Iranian missile attacks in recent days. “In one of the attacks, missile fragments struck just meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” he stated in a post on platform X, adding that the decision taken on Sunday “completely lacked any malicious intent.” “Consequently, Israel has temporarily requested that followers of all faiths refrain from performing acts of worship in the holy sites of Jerusalem's Old City.” Huckabee noted that both religious figures had attempted to enter the church privately, without a procession, and that current regulations referred to religious gatherings of more than 50 people. However, he expressed satisfaction with the Israeli government's efforts to address the situation and facilitate other activities during Holy Week. “The Criticism” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the measure was “an offense not only to believers but to any community that respects freedom of religion,” while Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that he had summoned the Israeli ambassador to Italy for explanations. French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the measure, stating it occurred in the context of the “worrying increase in violations of the Status of Holy Sites in Jerusalem.” “The freedom to celebrate religious rites in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions,” he stated in a post on X. In Rome on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to “the Christians of the Middle East, who are suffering the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live out the rites of these holy days.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated that he had called Cardinal Pizzaballa to express his “deep sadness” over the “unfortunate incident.” He also reiterated “Israel's unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all religions and to the preservation of the status quo in the holy sites of Jerusalem.”
