For the first time in centuries, Catholic leaders were barred from Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Palm Sunday, according to church authorities in the holy city.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said Israeli police had prevented church leaders from entering to celebrate Mass.
“For the first time in centuries, the head of the Church was prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher,” the Patriarchate said in a statement on Sunday. “This incident sets a grave precedent and ignores the feelings of billions of people around the world whose eyes are on Jerusalem this week.”
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the holiest period in the Christian calendar, and Sunday’s liturgy commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. This church is believed to be the place of Jesus’ burial and resurrection.
The move comes as Israeli authorities restrict access to religious sites in east Jerusalem, including the al-Aqsa Mosque and Western Wall, amid the war with Iran, citing security concerns. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war and has fought multiple wars since then, but it has rarely imposed sweeping restrictions on access to holy sites, especially during major religious periods.
The Italian government has also criticized the police decision to ban access to the church and plans to summon Israel’s ambassador in Rome. The Patriarchate had already canceled the traditional Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem, citing the conflict in which Iran has fired thousands of projectiles at Israel.
Two church officials, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, were “proceeding privately, without any procession or ritual act, when they were stopped midway and had to turn back,” the Patriarchate said.
It added that blocking their entry would be “a clearly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.”
The Patriarchate also accused Israeli authorities of a “hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by inadequate consideration.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said there was “no malice whatsoever” in the ban and that he was simply concerned for the safety of celebrants.
“However, given the sacredness of the week leading up to Easter for Christians around the world, Israeli security forces are finalizing plans to allow church leaders to worship in holy sites within the next few days,” Netanyahu’s office added.
Israeli police said all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City are “closed to worshipers in order to protect public safety and security, especially in places where standard protective spaces are not available.”
“The Old City and holy sites constitute a complex area and large emergency and rescue vehicles are not permitted access,” police said in a statement.
The number of Jews allowed to pray at Jerusalem’s Western Wall is limited to 50 a day, while Muslims have been completely barred from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque since the war began in late February, including during the entire holy month of Ramadan.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the government supported Cardinal Pizzaballa and other religious leaders.
“The Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem is a sacred place for Christians and must be preserved and protected,” Meloni added. Blocking church leaders from entering their churches “represents an insult not only to believers, but to all communities that recognize religious freedom,” Meloni said.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told the X program that the ban was unacceptable. He had instructed Italy’s ambassador to Israel to protest to the government and planned to summon the Israeli ambassador in Rome on Monday.
Speaking at the Vatican’s Sunday Mass, Pope Leo said: “Now more than ever, we are praying for Christians in the Middle East who are suffering the effects of brutal conflicts and are often unable to fully observe the liturgy of the Holy Days.”
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey condemned Israel’s continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem to Muslim worshipers.
Eight Muslim countries said discriminatory and arbitrary restrictions on access to places of worship constitute a “grave violation” of international law.
Abeer Salman contributed reporting.
