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Israeli constabulary prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from marking Palm Sunday astatine the Church of the Holy Sepulchre “for the archetypal clip in centuries,” the Patriarchate said, with constabulary citing information concerns linked to the Iran war.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Friar Francesco Ielpo were stopped by constabulary portion walking to the church, built connected the tract wherever Christians judge Jesus was crucified and roseate from the dead, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said.
Iran-Israel warfare updates connected March 29, 2026
“As a result, and for the archetypal clip successful centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass astatine the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” it said successful a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said successful a statement: “There was nary malicious intent whatsoever, lone interest for his [Pizzaballa’s] information and that of his party.” He said preparations were in spot to let religion leaders to worship astatine the religion successful the coming days.
Israeli constabulary said each beatified sites successful Jerusalem’s Old City –including those ineffable to Christians, Muslims and Jews – had been closed to worshippers since the commencement of the U.S.-Israeli warfare connected Iran, peculiarly locations without weaponry shelters.
Police said they had rejected a petition from the Patriarchate for a Palm Sunday exemption. “The Old City and the beatified sites represent a analyzable country that does not let entree for ample exigency and rescue vehicles, which importantly challenges effect capabilities and poses a existent hazard to quality beingness successful the lawsuit of a wide casualty incident,” constabulary said.
Restrictions impact Easter, Ramadan, Passover
Palm Sunday marks the opening of Holy Week, the astir important week successful the Christian calendar, starring to Easter. The Old City would typically beryllium busy, with Roman Catholics passing done the monolithic woody doors of the Holy Sepulchre. This year, Christians, Muslims and Jews person been incapable to observe Easter, Ramadan oregon Passover arsenic accustomed owed to constabulary restrictions. Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque was mostly bare during Ramadan, and fewer worshippers person travel to Judaism’s Western Wall arsenic Passover approaches connected Wednesday (March 25, 2026).
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised the constabulary enactment and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said connected societal media that helium would summon Israel’s ambassador implicit the incident. France’s President Emmanuel Macron condemned the Israeli police’s decision, which helium said “adds to the worrying summation successful violations of the presumption of the Holy Places successful Jerusalem.” U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said denying the Patriarch’s introduction to the religion connected Palm Sunday was “difficult to recognize oregon justify.”
The Vatican did not respond to a petition for comment. On Sunday (March 29, 2026), Pope Leo said that God rejects the prayers of leaders who commencement wars and person “hands afloat of blood”, successful unusually forceful remarks arsenic the Iran warfare entered its 2nd month.
Inconsistent enforcement, residents say
On March 16, shrapnel from ballistic missiles fired by Iran and debris from Israeli interceptors that changeable them down fell by the religion and the adjacent hilltop plateau known to Muslims arsenic Al-Aqsa compound and to Jews arsenic Temple Mount. Residents of the Old City and spiritual officials said constabulary restrictions connected worship had not been implemented consistently.
They noted that Muslim Waqf preachers were capable to entree Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, and that cleaners were permitted up of Passover to region supplication notes from the Western Wall, an yearly ritual.
On Sunday (March 29, 2026), Franciscan friars and worshippers were besides allowed into different Old City shrine, a abbreviated locomotion done the Old City’s constrictive alleyways from the Holy Sepulchre, to people Palm Sunday. A Reuters photograph showed astir a twelve radical bowing their heads successful supplication and carrying thenar fronds.
