Israeli Police Block Cardinal, Catholic Leaders From Holy Sepulchre Palm Sunday Mass

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Fr. Francesco Ielpo were proceeding privately toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on the morning of Palm Sunday when Israeli police stopped them. No procession, no ceremony. The joint statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land described what followed as "the first time in centuries" that the heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified. The Vatican demanded answers the same morning.

Israeli police had notified church authorities the day before that no Mass could take place because of safety considerations, specifically the lack of access for emergency vehicles in the narrow alleys of the Old City and the lack of adequate shelter. Jerusalem's major holy sites, including the Holy Sepulchre, are closed because of the ongoing Iran war, as the city has come under frequent fire from Iranian missiles in what is now the conflict's fifth week.

The Latin Patriarchate called the police decision "a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure." While the Church of the Holy Sepulchre said it understood the precautions taken by Israel's security forces, it drew a sharp line at the cancellation of the Mass itself. "This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo," the church said.

The joint statement described the incident as "a grave precedent" that disregards "the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem."

The blocking drew a wave of criticism from the United States and others. Israeli authorities said they are looking for "solutions" to open Christian sites following the Palm Sunday incident.

Cardinal Pizzaballa held an alternative prayer service at the Church of All Nations to mark the day. The Latin Patriarchate had already canceled the traditional procession from the Mount of Olives, citing the war and the inability to safely accommodate crowds. Observances for both Passover and Easter across Jerusalem were scaled back dramatically, with the city's holiest sites shuttered and pilgrims absent.

At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday Mass to address the suffering of Christians in the Middle East, denouncing attempts to use religion to justify war and calling God a "king of peace" who rejects violence.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week for Christians, commemorating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem before his crucifixion. This year, with the Iran war now in its fifth week and Jerusalem's holiest sites closed, the Latin Patriarch and the Custos of the Holy Land spent that morning turned away at the door.