Update – Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to Celebrate Palm Sunday Mass
UPDATE MARCH 30, 2026
Access to Religious in Places of Worship Guaranteed
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land confirm that issues related to the Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Holy Sepulchre have been addressed and resolved in coordination with the competent authorities.
“In agreement with the Israel Police, access has been guaranteed to representatives of the Churches in order to celebrate liturgies and ceremonies and preserve ancient traditions,” “we express our sincere gratitude to Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, for his prompt attention,” and “safeguarding freedom of worship remains a fundamental and shared duty.”
This is according to a joint statement following yesterday’s events, when the Patriarch and the Custos were denied access to the famous place of worship to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.
ARTICLE MARCH 29, 2026
Press Release – The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
All links to previous Gospa News articles have been added in the aftermath
Holy City of Jerusalem – Palm Sunday, 29 March 2026
This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass.
In the video above the 2025 Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
The two were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were compelled 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.
A grave precedent that disregard the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who look to Jerusalem.
This incident is a grave precedent, and disregard the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.
The Heads of the Churches have acted with full responsibility and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were cancelled, attendance was prohibited, and arrangements were made to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide, who, during these days of Easter, turn their eyes to Jerusalem and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.
An extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship
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 Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land express their profound sorrow to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world that prayer on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar has thus been prevented.
NO COMMENT BY HOLY SEE AT THE MOMENT
MAIN SOURCES
LATIN PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM
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