From the Mount of Olives, Cardinal Pizzaballa calls for peace – Vatican News

Vatican news

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, from Gethsemane, at the foot of the Mount of Olives, presided over a special prayer for peace on the occasion of the solemnity of Palm Sunday. This prayer took place a few hours after the Israeli authorities prohibited Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo, the Custos of the Holy Land, from accessing the Holy Sepulcher for the celebration of Palm Sunday Mass. The private mass had, however, been the subject of an agreement with the authorities. Due to the ongoing war, the Holy Places of Jerusalem have been closed for weeks and the limits of less than fifty people for any gathering are respected. Concerned about guaranteeing the safety of the faithful, Cardinal Pizzaballa had already announced on March 23 that he was making the painful decision to cancel the traditional Palm Sunday procession.

«For the first time in centuries, Church leaders were prevented from celebrating mass“, lamented on Sunday a joint statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land.

Sorrow will not extinguish hope

Thus, the prayer for peace on Sunday afternoon in Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed before being arrested, took on its full meaning. HAS”Today, Jesus weeps once again over Jerusalem“, recognized the cardinal in his homily. HAS”He cries on this Holy Land, still incapable of recognizing the gift of peace. He cries for all the victims of a war that seems endless: for the divided families, for the shattered hopes. But the tears of Jesus are never sterile: they open our eyes, challenge us and reveal the truth”. 

If the warinterrupted our festive journey, making difficult even the simple joy of following our King“It will not erase the resurrection,” assured the patriarch. HAS”Sorrow will not extinguish hope».

«Today, we do not carry branches in procession (…) We do not wave olive branches; rather, we choose to become artisans of reconciliation, through every gesture, every word, every relationship.” Cardinal Pizzaballa declared again.

Accès immédiat au Saint-Sépulcre annoncé

The incident provoked numerous reactions within the international community. The President of the Italian Council Giorgia Meloni denounced “an offense not only to believers, but to any community that recognizes religious freedom“, and Rome announced the summons this Monday March 30 of the Israeli ambassador to Italy. French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the “decision of the Israeli police, which adds to the worrying multiplication of violations of the status of the Holy sites of Jerusalem».

Under fire from criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed this Monday that the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land would regain immediate access to the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher.

In a new joint press release published this Monday, March 30, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land confirm “that matters relating to Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher have been examined and resolved in coordination with the competent authorities.”. Access for representatives of the Churches is once again guaranteed “in order to allow the celebration of liturgies and ceremonies, and to preserve the ancient Easter traditions at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre..

The press release specifies, however, that “Given the current state of war, existing restrictions on public gatherings remain in effect at this timeHAS”. Accordingly, the Churches will ensure that liturgies and prayers are broadcast live to the faithful in the Holy Land and around the world.