Security measures left senior clergy unable to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, prompting diplomatic protests and canceled religious ceremonies.
For the first time in centuries, the heads of the Catholic Church were denied access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem during Palm Sunday, church sources in this holy city report.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said that Israeli police did not allow the senior church leadership to enter to participate in the service.
“For the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were deprived of the opportunity to celebrate Palm Sunday liturgy at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.” “This event is a serious precedent and disrespects the sensitivities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look toward Jerusalem.”
– Latin Patriarchate
Palm Sunday symbolizes the start of Holy Week – the holiest period in the Christian calendar; on this day they commemorate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. It is believed that the church is the burial and resurrection site of Jesus.
The incident comes amid restrictions on access to religious sites in East Jerusalem over security concerns, notably to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall. Israel captured East Jerusalem in 1967 during the war with Jordan; since then there have been several wars, but large restrictions on access to holy places are usually not encountered, especially during major religious events.
The Italian government also criticized the police’s decision to deny access to the temple and plans to summon the Israeli ambassador to Rome. The Patriarchate has already canceled the traditional Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem due to the ongoing conflict.
Two senior church officials, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, “were stopped during a private passage, with no signs of a procession or ceremonial act, and were forced to return,” the Patriarchate said.
It noted that their entry “is clearly irrational and grossly disproportionate.”
The Patriarchate also accused Israeli authorities of a “hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by erroneous considerations.”
The Israeli police said that all holy sites of the Old City of Jerusalem were “closed to worshippers, especially those sites lacking standard protected spaces, in order to ensure public safety.” The official statement also notes that the Old City and its holy sites are a densely packed area that does not allow access for large emergency vehicles.
The number of Jews allowed to pray near the Western Wall was limited to 50 per day, while Muslim worshippers have been fully separated from access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the start of the war at the end of February, together with the entire holy month of Ramadan.
Global Leaders’ Reactions and Diplomacy
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said her government supports Cardinal Pizzaballa and other church leaders.
“The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is the holy site of Christianity, and it must be preserved and protected,” “The ban on church leaders entering the church is an affront not only to the faithful but to every community that recognizes religious freedom.”
– Giorgia Meloni
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, in a post on X, said that the ban is unacceptable. He instructed the Italian ambassador to Israel to lodge a protest with the government and plans to summon the Israeli ambassador to Rome on Monday.
“The ban was unacceptable.”
– Antonio Tajani
Pope Leo, during Sunday Mass at the Vatican, said that his prayers are “now more than ever with Christians of the Middle East who suffer from the brutal conflict and in many cases cannot fully observe the rites of these holy days.”
“My prayers are now more than ever with Christians in the Middle East who are suffering from the brutal conflict and in many cases cannot fully observe the rites of these holy days.”
– Pope Leo
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey condemned the prolonged closure of the Al-Aqsa complex for Muslim worshippers by Israel.
Eight Muslim-majority countries described such restrictions as discriminatory and unlawful, a “clear violation” of international law.
Summing up the events, they emphasize the tensions in the Middle East and the sensitivity of religious issues in the context of security and international relations.