US EditionIsraeli police block Catholic cardinal from Jerusalem's Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday
Israeli police barred Catholic leaders from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday citing risks from Iranian missile strikes and narrow emergency access, limiting gatherings to 50 people.
- On Sunday, March 29, 2026, Israeli police blocked Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Custos Father Francesco Ielpo from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, preventing Palm Sunday Mass for the first time in centuries.
- Citing 'special concern for his safety' amid Iranian missile threats, police stated the Old City's narrow alleys prevent emergency vehicle access during a 'mass casualty incident.'
- Ambassador Mike Huckabee joined church leaders in labeling the incident an 'unfortunate overreach,' noting the delegation of four was well below the 50-person gathering limit.
- Diplomacy strained as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani summoned the Israeli Ambassador, while Premier Giorgia Meloni stated the ban 'constitutes an offense not only against believers but against every community that recognizes religious freedom.'
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office asserted 'no malicious intent whatsoever,' while security officials develop a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the holy site during Holy Week.
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371 Articles
After fierce criticism, Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu has ordered that the highest Catholic church representative in the Holy Land be given access to the grave church in Jerusalem.
Israel’s Palm Sunday Screwup
On Sunday morning, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was stopped by Israeli police officers as he led a small entourage from his residence at the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem’s Old City to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a seven-minute walk away.Accompanied by Father Francesco Ielpo, the church official responsible for overseeing Catholic religious sites in the Holy Land, Pizzaballa was on his way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass at the magnifi…
Israel blocks senior Catholic leaders from Jerusalem church on Palm Sunday ‘first time in centuries,’ access restored
Middle East News: For the first time in centuries, senior Catholic leaders were denied access to Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, sparking international outrage and diplomatic responses amid escalating regional tensions.
Israeli Police Block Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch from Entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday Mass
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. The Israeli Police on Sunday prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, along with the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr Francesco Ielpo, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem to celebrate Palm Sunday mass. World News | Israeli Police Block Jerusalem's Latin Patriarch from Entering Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday Mass.
Catholic cardinal blocked from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at Jesus Christ’s tomb by Israeli police * WorldNetDaily * by Thomas Wong, Daily Caller News Foundation
Source link (Official White House photo by Andrea Hanks) Israeli police prevented a Catholic Cardinal from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the church traditionally believed to have been built over the burial tomb of Jesus Christ, adding a new dynamic to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem,
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