JERUSALEM — Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, according to a joint statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land.
The statement said both Church leaders were stopped en route to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, “while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act,” and were forced to turn back. Officials described the incident as “a grave precedent” and noted that it was “the first time in centuries” that the heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the historic church.
The Latin Patriarchate and Custody emphasized that both leaders have acted responsibly throughout the ongoing conflict, fully complying with restrictions on public gatherings, cancelling attendance, and arranging broadcasts for millions of faithful worldwide. Despite this compliance, the measure to block their entry was called “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate,” the statement said.
“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 statement added.
Both Cardinal Pizzaballa and Fr. Ielpo expressed “profound sorrow” that worship on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar was prevented, stressing the impact on Christian faithful in the Holy Land and around the world.
The incident drew international attention, highlighting the continuing tensions surrounding Jerusalem’s holy sites, which have faced heightened restrictions due to security concerns amid regional unrest.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
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