Israeli Police Block Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa From Holy Sepulchre Palm Sunday Mass

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Custos Francesco Ielpo were prevented by Israeli police from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, forcing them to turn back on March 29, 2026.

“On March 10, 2026, the Israeli Ministry of Education announced that no work permits will be issued for the 2026-2027 school year to Palestinian teachers residing in the Occupied West Bank and holders of a green card”

Aide à l'Église en Détresse

The Latin Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land said the decision was unprecedented, while Israeli police argued that the Old City’s layout is a complex zone that does not permit rapid access for emergency services in case of an attack.

Aide à l'Église en Détresse

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ban on access was motivated by security and that it did not arise from any malicious intent, and he said Israeli security forces were drawing up a plan to allow religious leaders to pray at the Holy Sepulchre in the coming days.

The Patriarchate said the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem, which usually attracts thousands of worshippers each year, was cancelled.

Pope Leo XIV paid tribute in Rome after the Angelus prayer to Christians of the Middle East who suffer the consequences of an atrocious conflict and who, in many cases, cannot fully observe the rites of these holy days.

Emmanuel Macron condemned the decision of the Israeli police to prevent the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, writing on X, "I condemn this decision of the Israeli police, which adds to the troubling proliferation of violations of the status of Jerusalem holy sites."

Jean-Luc Mélenchon accused on X Benjamin Netanyahu of persecuting the Christians of the East in Lebanon, in Occupied Palestine and even in Jerusalem during the central week of Christianity, adding that Macron is right to support in turn the Jerusalem Patriarch.

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In response to the access denial, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the ban was motivated by security and that Israeli authorities were drawing up a plan to allow religious leaders to pray at the Holy Sepulchre in the coming days.

The Latin Patriarchate said the arrangement had been adapted and that the church leaders acted with full responsibility and, since the start of the war, complied with all restrictions imposed.

The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the denial of access as an unjustified attack on religious freedom, while Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned an offense not only to believers but to any community that recognizes religious freedom.

On March 10, 2026, the Israeli Ministry of Education announced that no work permits will be issued for the 2026-2027 school year to Palestinian teachers residing in the Occupied West Bank and holders of a green card.

“The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem protested on Wednesday against what it described as an 'illegal and illegitimate' seizure by Israel of land belonging to it in the eastern part of the Holy City, on Monday”

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A representative of the General Secretariat of Christian Schools in the Holy Land warned that if the decision is implemented, "our Christian schools will find themselves in a very difficult situation, which will threaten their sustainability and cause them to lose their Christian mission."

The same source said nearly 230 Christian teachers residing in the West Bank and holding a green card work in 15 Christian schools in Jerusalem, and that the resulting absences would disrupt students and teams.

In parallel, the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Israel’s seizure of lands belonging to the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Silwan, with Ambassador Fuad Al-Majali saying Jordan described the seizure as a blatant violation of international law, international humanitarian law, and the historic status quo.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned that the land seizure in Silwan is part of "a systematic policy aimed at controlling church property and changing the historical, religious, and demographic character of East Jerusalem, including targeting the Palestinian Christian presence."