The Israeli police prevented, on Sunday, March 29, 2026, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem as well as the Father of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre from entering the holy site to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass,” the Latin Patriarchate said. “Both were stopped on their way as they were traveling privately and were forced to turn back,” a joint statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land indicated.
“As a result, for the first time in centuries, the church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement adds, as Israel closed all holy sites in the Old City of East Jerusalem, citing security reasons.
Amidst the war with Iran, the Israeli police argued that the configuration of the Old City and the holy sites constituted “a complex area,” not allowing for quick access to emergency services in case of an attack. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, celebrated Mass at the Church of All Nations, following the cancellation of the traditional procession from the Mount of Olives.
Like other European leaders, Emmanuel Macron reacted. “I condemn this decision by the Israeli police, which adds to the alarming violation of the status of the Holy Places of Jerusalem,” he wrote on X. “The free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions,” he added, offering his “full support to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Christians of the Holy Land.”
“There was absolutely no malicious intent”
The President of the Italian Council, Giorgia Meloni, said she saw “an offense to believers” in a statement. The Israeli ambassador to Italy will be summoned on Monday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, he added, also on X.
Preventing “without reason or motive” the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass is “an unjustified attack on religious freedom,” denounced the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. On X, the Spanish Prime Minister demanded “that Israel respect the diversity of beliefs and international law. Because without tolerance, it is impossible to coexist.”
By the end of the afternoon, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assured, via a statement from his office, that “today, out of particular concern for his security, the Jerusalem police prevented the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pizzaballa, from celebrating Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There was absolutely no malicious intent, only the concern to ensure his security.”
