Israel Blocks Cardinal Pizzaballa From Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday

For the first time in centuries, Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pizzaballa from entering the Church.

The Catholic Church condemned the action as manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate.

Al Jazeera

Israeli police cited safety concerns amid the war with Iran.

All holy sites in Jerusalem's Old City had been closed to worshippers since the beginning of the war.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been hosting masses not open to the public since February 28.

Al-Bayadir as-Siyasi

Questions were raised about why this private visit was blocked.

The decision sparked international outrage.

Italian Prime Minister Meloni called it an offense to all communities that value religious freedom.

President Isaac Herzog expressed great sorrow and clarified the incident stemmed from security concerns.

The Latin Patriarchate questioned why the private visit presented additional concerns.

They emphasized that the heads of the churches have complied with all imposed restrictions.

Al-Jazeera Net