For the first time in centuries, Catholic leaders have been barred from Jerusalem’s Church of Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, based on church authorities in the holy metropolis.
The Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem mentioned Israeli police prevented the church’s senior leaders from coming into to have a good time mass.
“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,” the Patriarchate mentioned in an announcement on Sunday. “This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.”
Palm Sunday marks the begin of Holy Week, the most sacred interval in the Christian calendar, with Sunday’s liturgy commemorating Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The church is believed to be the web site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection.
The transfer comes as Israeli authorities limit entry to spiritual websites in East Jerusalem amid the conflict with Iran, together with Al Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall, citing safety issues. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 conflict, and has fought a number of wars since, however sweeping restrictions on entry to holy websites – notably throughout main spiritual durations – have been uncommon.
The Italian authorities has additionally criticized the police resolution to bar entry to the church and plans to summon the Israeli ambassador in Rome. The Patriarchate had already cancelled the conventional Palm Sunday procession in Jerusalem attributable to the battle, which has seen Iran fireplace hundreds of projectiles towards Israel.
The two senior Church officers, together with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, “were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were compelled to turn back,” the Patriarchate said.
Preventing their entry “constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” it added.
The Patriarchate additionally accused the Israeli authorities of a “hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations.”
Israeli Police mentioned that every one holy websites in the Old City of Jerusalem had been “closed to worshippers, particularly locations that do not have standard protected spaces, in order to safeguard public safety and security.”
“The Old City and the holy sites constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles,” the police mentioned in an announcement.
The variety of Jews allowed to wish at the Western Wall in Jerusalem has been restricted to 50 a day, whereas Muslims have been utterly barred from accessing Al Aqsa Mosque since the conflict began in late February, together with the total holy month of Ramadan.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mentioned her authorities stood with Cardinal Pizzaballa and different spiritual leaders.
“The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is a sacred place of Christianity, and as such must be preserved and protected,” Meloni added. Preventing church leaders from coming into the church “constitutes an insult not only to believers, but to every community that recognizes religious freedom,” Meloni mentioned.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani mentioned on X that the ban was unacceptable. He had instructed the Italian ambassador in Israel to protest to the authorities and would summon the Israeli ambassador in Rome on Monday.
During mass at the Vatican Sunday, Pope Leo mentioned his prayers are “more than ever with the Christians of the Middle East, who are suffering the consequences of a brutal conflict and, in many cases, are unable to observe fully the liturgies of these holy days.”
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey condemned Israel’s continued closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem to Muslim worshippers.
The eight Muslim states mentioned that discriminatory and arbitrary limits on entry to locations of worship amounted to a “flagrant violation” of worldwide regulation.
Eugenia Yosef, Antonia Mortensen, Christopher Lamb and Abeer Salman contributed reporting.