Israeli police prevented senior Catholic clerics from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate a private Palm Sunday Mass, an unprecedented restriction on access to the centuries-old site that drew international and ecclesiastical criticism.
Authorities have closed many of Jerusalem’s major holy sites amid the conflict with Iran and repeated missile fire in and around the city. Police said they had agreed a “limited prayer framework” for the church with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem but nonetheless denied entry on Sunday to two senior figures, including Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land.
The Latin Patriarchate condemned the move as disproportionate, saying it prevented clergy from marking Palm Sunday at the place Christians venerate as Christ’s crucifixion. Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and begins Holy Week, is among the most important days on the Christian liturgical calendar.
Police cited security concerns, pointing to the Old City’s narrow alleys that impede emergency response and a lack of nearby protected shelter capacity. Earlier in the month, shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian missile landed on a rooftop a short distance from the church, underscoring officials’ fears about gatherings in spaces that lack standard protective infrastructure.
The patriarchate said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had already been holding closed services since the outbreak of the Iran war on Feb. 28 and argued it was unclear why this private, small-scale Mass and the presence of two clergy members were singled out. A patriarchate spokesperson called the denial an obstacle to religious freedom and to Jerusalem’s longstanding status quo.
Large public observances, including the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives into the Old City, were canceled for safety reasons. The patriarchate has limited services to fewer than 50 people in keeping with Israeli military guidelines for civilian safety.
Cardinal Pizzaballa celebrated Mass instead at St. Saviour’s Monastery, a nearby marble church adjacent to an underground music school designated by the military as a safe shelter. Later he led a prayer for peace at the Dominus Flevit shrine on the Mount of Olives; his homily centered on Jesus and did not publicly dwell on the morning’s access dispute.
Pope Leo XIV prayed at the end of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square for Christians in the Middle East, noting many are unable to fully observe holy days amid hostilities. The Vatican did not immediately comment specifically on the Jerusalem incident.
The decision drew diplomatic protests. U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee described the denial as an “unfortunate overreach,” noting the planned private prayer would have fallen well under the 50-person limit. French President Emmanuel Macron said the action added to concerns about violations of the status of Jerusalem’s holy sites and urged protection for all faiths’ religious exercise. Italy formally protested to Israeli authorities and summoned Israel’s ambassador to Rome; Italian leaders across the political spectrum criticized the restriction on Pizzaballa, an Italian cardinal.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move was motivated by security considerations, not malice, and indicated plans to partially reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the coming days to allow worship while preserving safety. The patriarch indicated talks with authorities remained cordial and that he hoped arrangements for worship would be clarified.
Restrictions extend to other sacred places. The Western Wall is largely closed for safety, though authorities are allowing up to 50 people to pray in an enclosed adjacent area. Smaller houses of worship in the Old City may open only if they are within approved distances to bomb shelters and keep gatherings under 50 people. Those same shelter-based limits apply across much of Israel, where schools remain closed and many workplaces operate only where rapid access to protection is possible after an alert.
