Israel said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem would regain access to Christianity’s holiest site after the decision to block him from entering the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday triggered international condemnation.
Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa from entering the church, citing security concerns as Israel enforces a ban on gatherings in synagogues, churches and mosques during the ongoing war with Iran, which has brought missile strikes near holy sites.
After widespread backlash, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday the Latin Patriarch would get “full and immediate access”.
Members of the clergy attend a prayer service in the Church of All Nations held by Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to mark Palm Sunday in Jerusalem on March 29, 2026. —AFP
The Latin Patriarchate said in a statement that Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, were travelling privately without a ceremonial procession when officers at the church entrance forced them to turn back.
“As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” it said, calling the incident a “grave precedent” that disregards the sensibilities of Christians worldwide.
Palm Sunday, which opens Holy Week for Christians, marks Jesus Christ’s final entry into Jerusalem, days before his crucifixion and resurrection, as described in the Gospels.
Father Gabriel Romanelli, parish priest at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Family, leads the Palm Sunday service at the church in Gaza City on March 29, 2026. —AFP
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre contains the sites where Christians believe Christ was crucified, buried and resurrected.
Religious freedom concerns
“War will not erase the resurrection. Grief will not extinguish hope,” Pizzaballa said at a Palm Sunday mass he held later at the Church of All Nations, also known as the Church of Gethsemane, on the Mount of Olives.
The Patriarchate had already announced the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem, which normally draws thousands.
Israeli police said all holy sites in Jerusalem have been closed since the start of the war.
“The Patriarch’s request was reviewed yesterday, and it was clarified that it could not be approved,” it said in a statement to AFP.
