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Israeli police prevented senior Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, marking what church authorities say is the first time in centuries that the site\u2019s top clerics were barred from celebrating one of Christianity\u2019s most sacred observances.<\/span><\/p>\n According to a joint statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo, the Custos of the Holy Land and official guardian of the church, were stopped en route to the church and turned back by police.<\/span><\/p>\n The two clerics were traveling privately and \u201cwithout any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act,\u201d the statement said, yet were still denied entry to the site where they were scheduled to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass. \u201cFor the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,\u201d the statement noted, calling the incident \u201ca grave precedent\u201d that disregards \u201cthe sensibilities of billions of people around the world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Church authorities emphasized that they had complied with all restrictions imposed since the start of the war, including canceling public gatherings and arranging for services to be broadcast remotely to the faithful worldwide. \u201cPreventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos \u2026 constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,\u201d the statement said, adding that the decision represented \u201can extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Patriarchate and Custody expressed \u201cprofound sorrow\u201d that prayer on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar had been prevented in Christianity\u2019s holiest site.<\/span><\/p>\n Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani publicly condemned the move, <\/span>expressing<\/span><\/a> \u201cheartfelt solidarity\u201d with the Patriarch and Custos \u2014 both Italian nationals \u2014 and calling the decision \u201cunacceptable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor the first time, the Israeli police denied the leaders of the Catholic Church the possibility of celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in one of the holiest places for millions of believers around the world,\u201d Tajani wrote, adding that Italy had <\/span>summoned<\/span><\/a> the Israeli ambassador to lodge a formal protest and reaffirm its commitment to defending religious freedom.<\/span><\/p>\n Israeli authorities, however, pointed to ongoing wartime conditions and security concerns as justification for the restrictions. In a statement obtained by former Israeli spokesman <\/span>Eylon Levy<\/span><\/a>, police said that all holy sites, including the temple mount and Western Wall in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City have been closed in accordance with Home Front Command guidelines amid the ongoing conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, police said, lacks adequate protected space, and recently Iranian missile shrapnel has landed nearby. They also cited the difficulty of navigating emergency vehicles through the Old City\u2019s narrow alleyways in the event of a mass casualty incident.<\/span><\/p>\n According to the statement, Cardinal Pizzaballa had requested an exception to the restrictions, which authorities declined after explaining the security concerns. \u201c\u2018Freedom of worship will continue to be upheld, subject to necessary restrictions,\u2019\u201d the police statement read, adding that Israel\u2019s top priority remains \u201cprotecting human life.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Israeli government officials, for their part, have pointed squarely to escalating security threats as the driving force behind the decision. In a <\/span>statement<\/span><\/a> released by the Prime Minister\u2019s Office\u2019s official X account, the government said that \u201cover the past several days, Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles,\u201d underscoring the severity of the situation unfolding in the Old City.<\/span><\/p>\n The statement noted again that in at least one recent strike, missile fragments landed just meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre itself, an incident Israeli officials cited as evidence that even the most sacred sites are no longer insulated from the widening conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs a result, Israel has temporarily asked worshippers from all faiths not to worship at the holy sites in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City to protect them,\u201d the Prime Minister\u2019s Office said, framing the restrictions as a blanket security measure rather than one targeting any single religion or denomination.<\/span><\/p>\n Officials also addressed the specific decision to block Cardinal Pizzaballa, emphasizing that it was made \u201cout of special concern for his safety,\u201d and insisting that \u201cthere was no malicious intent whatsoever, only concern for his safety and that of his party.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n At the same time, the government acknowledged the extraordinary nature of the restriction, particularly given the timing during Holy Week. The Prime Minister\u2019s Office said Israel\u2019s security agencies are now \u201cputting together a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days,\u201d suggesting that the restrictions could be adjusted as conditions allow.<\/span><\/p>\n Israel\u2019s Foreign Ministry echoed that explanation in a separate statement on <\/span>X<\/span><\/a>, stressing that all current limitations in the Old City are \u201ca direct result of Iranian missile fire,\u201d which has struck in the vicinity not only of the Holy Sepulchre, but also the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn light of this, and in order to protect the lives of worshippers of all faiths, precautionary instructions have been issued for all holy sites of all religions, and mass gatherings are not possible,\u201d the ministry said. \u201cThe concern over a mass-casualty event in the Old City is particularly acute given the area\u2019s density and the difficulty of deploying first responders in such an incident,\u201d the statement said, appealing to the logistical challenges facing security officials.<\/span><\/p>\n U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, however, took issue with that reasoning. While acknowledging the security-driven closure of all holy sites in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City he described the specific denial of entry to the Catholic leaders as being perhaps overzealous. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cWhile all Holy sites in the Old City are closed due to safety concerns for mass gatherings \u2026 the action today by the Israel Nat\u2019l Police to deny Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and 3 other priests from entering the Church to offer a blessing on Palm Sunday is an unfortunate overreach already having major repercussions around the world,\u201d Huckabee wrote in a statement on X<\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n He noted that Home Front Command guidelines restrict any gatherings to 50 people or less, a limit the four Catholic representatives were well below. Although Israeli government statements have cited safety reasons for the decision, Huckabee observed that churches, synagogues, and mosques throughout Jerusalem have continued to operate under the same 50-person restriction. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201cFor the Patriarch to be barred from entry to the Church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony is difficult to understand or justify,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Despite the restrictions, Israeli authorities indicated that dialogue with Church leadership is ongoing. The Foreign Ministry said police are expected to meet with Cardinal Pizzaballa to \u201cexplore solutions that allow for as normal a routine as possible while ensuring public safety,\u201d signaling a potential path forward as tensions remain high.<\/span><\/p>\n The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, located in Jerusalem\u2019s Old City, is revered by Christians as the site of Jesus Christ\u2019s crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, making it one of the most sacred places in the world. The decision to bar access on Palm Sunday, the day marking the beginning of Holy Week, has heightened tensions between church authorities and Israeli officials, raising broader questions about the balance between security measures and religious freedom during wartime.<\/span><\/p>\n