Israeli police blocked Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and another top Catholic leader from entering Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate a private Palm Sunday Mass, drawing immediate international criticism, the Associated Press reported.
The incident came as major holy sites in Jerusalem remained closed during the Iran war, with the city under frequent fire from Iranian missiles. On Monday, Israeli police said they had approved what they called a “limited prayer framework” for the church in consultation with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, while the Patriarchate said police had acted beyond what was necessary for safety.
In Israel’s account, police told church authorities on Saturday that no Mass could take place on Palm Sunday because of safety considerations. The statement cited the lack of access for emergency vehicles in the Old City’s narrow alleys and the church’s lack of adequate shelter, where the cavernous complex sits amid a maze of tiny streets.
Police said the new framework would aim to “enable freedom of worship.” It also said restrictions at holy sites without standard protected spaces, such as the church itself, were intended to “safeguard worshippers” from Iranian attacks. Police pointed to the war’s impact on the area, including shrapnel from an Iranian missile interception falling on a rooftop just steps from the church earlier this month.
The Latin Patriarchate disputed police’s characterization of the restrictions. It said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been hosting Masses that were not open to the public since the Iran war began on Feb. 28, and said it was unclear why access for the two priests was treated differently on Sunday.
“We want to use this situation to try to clarify better what will be done in the coming days, respecting the security of all naturally but also in respect of the right to prayer,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said later in an interview with the Italian Catholic broadcaster TG2000, describing differences with Israeli authorities as a matter of discussion rather than hostility.
In comments conveyed by the Latin Patriarchate’s spokesperson Farid Jubran, the Patriarchate said the decision blocked religious leaders in a way that it characterized as disproportionate. Jubran said the church had requested permission for a limited number of religious leaders to enter for a private celebration, and he argued there was no justification for barring them. The Patriarchate also said the decision impeded freedom of worship and disrupted the “status quo” governing holy sites in Jerusalem.
Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and launches Holy Week celebrations that culminate in Easter. The traditional procession typically brings tens of thousands of Christians walking from the Mount of Olives to the Old City waving palm fronds and singing, but the Patriarchate canceled the procession last week because of safety concerns.
Pope Leo XIV, after Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, prayed for Christians in the Middle East living through what he described as an “atrocious” conflict, saying in many cases they “cannot live fully the rites” of the holy days.
The closure prompted criticism from European and U.S. officials. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said the incident was “an unfortunate overreach,” adding in a statement that the proposed prayer plan with Pizzaballa and others was below the 50-person gathering limit for the restrictions. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the incident on X, saying it added to what he described as a “concerning increase” in violations of the status of Holy Sites in Jerusalem, and that the “free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions.”
Italian officials also protested. The Italian government formally protested the incident to Israeli authorities and summoned Israel’s ambassador to Rome for clarification. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the police action “constitutes an offense not only against believers but against every community that recognizes religious freedom.”
Netanyahu responded by saying there was no “malicious intent” and that the cardinal was prevented from accessing the church because of safety concerns. He said in a posting on X that Israel’s security arms were preparing a plan to enable church leaders to worship at the Holy Sepulchre in the coming days.
Beyond the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Associated Press reported that Jerusalem’s Western Wall was also mostly closed for safety reasons, though authorities were allowing up to 50 people at a time in an enclosed area adjacent to the plaza. Smaller churches, synagogues and mosques in the Old City were reported as open when they were within a distance of a bomb shelter deemed acceptable by Israel’s military and when gatherings stayed under 50 people. Across Israel, schools were also closed since the beginning of the Iran war, and workplaces could function only where shelters could be reached quickly after an alert.