Image: from TRT World Now X @TRTWorldNow
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
JERUSALEM — For the first time in centuries, the heads of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land were prevented by Israeli police from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, March 29, 2026, has sparked a firestorm of international condemnation and raised grave concerns over religious freedom in the war-torn city.
The Incident
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Friar Francesco Ielpo, the Custos of the Holy Land, were stopped by police while walking privately to the church. According to the Latin Patriarchate, the two leaders were proceeding without a ceremonial procession or public gathering in an effort to comply with current security restrictions. Despite these precautions, they were forced to turn back, marking an unprecedented disruption of one of the most sacred rites in the Christian calendar.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Mass on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday, according to the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
Israeli police said all holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City had been closed… pic.twitter.com/ivJ1YhxRuS
— Sky News (@SkyNews) March 29, 2026
The Security Context
The Israeli government cited the ongoing war with Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, as the primary reason for the closure of all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City. Police officials stated that the narrow alleys of the Old City pose a “real risk to human life” during mass casualty incidents, as they do not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) asserting there was “no malicious intent whatsoever” and that the decision was based solely on “special concern for the Cardinal’s safety” following recent Iranian missile strikes that landed near the Holy Sepulchre.
International Condemnation
The move has drawn swift and sharp criticism from world leaders:
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The Vatican: Pope Leo XIV, during his Angelus prayer in Rome, lamented that many Christians in the Middle East “cannot fully live the rites of these holy days” due to the conflict.
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France: President Emmanuel Macron condemned the decision as part of a “worrying series of violations” of the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy places.
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Italy: Premier Giorgia Meloni called the police action “an offense not only to the faithful but to any community that respects religious freedom”.
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United States: U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the incident as an “unfortunate overreach” that is having “serious repercussions around the world”.
A City in Shadow
The streets of the Old City, typically teeming with tens of thousands of pilgrims waving palm fronds, remained largely deserted on Sunday. The traditional procession from the Mount of Olives had already been canceled by the Patriarchate due to the threat of missile attacks.
Cardinal Pizzaballa eventually celebrated a private Mass at St. Savior’s Monastery, which is equipped with an underground safe shelter. In his homily, he noted that “the war has interrupted our festive journey,” but maintained a message of resilience: “War will not erase the resurrection. Grief will not extinguish hope”.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has stated it is currently working on a security plan to allow church leaders to worship at the holy site in the coming days as Holy Week continues toward Easter.