US EditionIsraeli Police Bar Patriarch from Holy Sepulcher on Palm Sunday
Israeli police cited wartime safety concerns to bar Cardinal Pizzaballa and Father Ielpo from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, prompting international criticism including from Italy and the U.S.
- 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.
473 Articles
473 Articles
Behind the Crisis in Israeli-Christian Relations
Once again, Israel’s government finds itself in damage-control mode over an unanticipated controversy around its policies toward Christians. On Sunday morning, Israeli police officers kept the top two Catholic clergymen in the Holy Land—Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Custos of the Holy Land Father Francesco Ielpo—from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate a small Palm Sunday Mass. Israeli authorities, unbel…
Why Did Israel Reverse Its Ban On Palm Sunday Mass?
Israel has reversed its decision to block Christian leaders from holding Palm Sunday Mass at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre after global backlash. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had directed authorities to allow services, while maintaining that earlier restrictions were based on security concerns, according to CNN. The Latin Patriarchate had reported that senior clergy, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, were denied…
Cardinal Pizzaballa was blocked by Israeli police on Palm Sunday at the tomb church in Jerusalem. Now Netanyahu is rowing back.
The Latin Patriarchate, a Catholic diocese with faithful in Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Cyprus, reported that police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the custodian from entering the church on Palm Sunday.
'I am disappointed': PM Mark Carney calls out Israel with sharp criticism and brutally honest advice
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney openly expressed his disappointment after Israeli police stopped Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday. Carney posted on X, saying “These actions further violate the longstanding status quo of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites.” He stressed that people of every faith in Jerusalem should be able to worship “freely, fully, and witho…
Catholic leaders barred from Jerusalem Holy site on Palm Sunday
Israeli police officers prevented two senior Roman Catholic leaders in Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, inciting a wave of outrage from local church officials and some world leaders at the start of the holiest week on the Christian calendar.
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