The Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from marking Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchreย “for the first time in centuries,” church officials there said, with Israel citing security concerns amid the war with Iran.
Two of the church’s top religious leaders, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the head of the Custos in the Holy Land, were blocked from celebrating at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead.
The two were proceeding privately, without any ceremonial procession, and “were compelled to turn back, “the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which manages the Catholic Church’s affairs in the Holy Land, and the Custody of the Holy Land said in a joint statement.
“This incident is a grave precedent, and disregard (sic) the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem,” the statement continued.
It also called the police decision “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.”
Jerusalem’s major holy sites closed due to Iran war
Israeli police said all holy sites โin Jerusalem’s Old City had been closed to worshippers since the beginning of the US-Israel war with Iran.
“The Patriarch’s request was reviewed yesterday, and it was clarified that it could not be approved,” it said in a statement to the French AFP news agency.
“The Old City and the holy sites constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, which significantly challenges response capabilities and poses a real risk to human life in the event of a mass casualty incident,” the force said.
However, the Latin Patriarchate noted the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the holiest site in the religion, has been hosting masses that aren’t open to the public since the Iran war began on February 28.
“It’s a very, very sacred day for Christians, and in our opinion, there was no justification for such a decision or such an action,” said Farid Jubran, the spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and launches the Week of Holy commemorations for Christians who follow the Latin calendar, which culminates in Easter next Sunday.
PM Netanyahu’s office denies ‘malicious intent’
In response to the criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied any “malicious intent” behind the decision to block the Catholic leaders entry.
“Today, out of special concern for his safety, Jerusalem police prevented the Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pizzaballa from holding mass this morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the office said on X.
Israeli authorities were “putting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days,” it added.ย
Italy to summon Israeli envoy over church ban
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the police action against Pizzaballa and Ielpo, who are both Italian nationals, calling it “an insult not only to the faithful, but also to every community recognizing freedom of worship.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said the Israeli ambassador to Italy would be summoned on Monday to explain the police decision.
The United States, Israel’s closests ally, described the incident as “an unfortunate overreach.”ย
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, said the proposed prayer with Pizzaballa and the others was well below the 50-person limit for gatherings. “For the Patriarch to be barred from entry to the Church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony is difficult to understand or justify,”ย he wrote in a statement.ย
French President Emmanuel Macron said it contributed to a troubling riseย in “violations of the status of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.”
“The free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions,” Macron added.
Jordan’s foreign ministry also condemned the move as a “flagrant violation” and called for an end to restrictions on worshippers’ย access to holy sites.
Edited by: Rana Taha