Israeli police prevent Cardinal Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land from even entering the Church of The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem

 

Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem 

Church

• Holy Land
• holy week
• Israel

Israeli police stop Latin Patriarch from entering Church of Holy Sepulchre

In a joint press release, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land report they were blocked from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem by Israeli police, calling it "a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure."

Vatican News

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land have released a joint statement stating that, on the morning of Palm Sunday, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass.

Released on Sunday, the statement said both Church leaders were stopped en route by Israeli police, "while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act" and were forced to turn back.

"For the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre," the statement noted.

It described the event as "a grave precedent" and disregarding "the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem."

Blocked despite compliance with restrictions

The statement said the Patriarch and the Custos of the Holy Land have acted with full responsibility since the start of the war, complying with all restrictions requiring that public gatherings be cancelled, attendance prohibited, and arrangements be made to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide "who, during these days of Easter, turn their eyes to Jerusalem and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre."

"Grossly disproportionate measure"

Preventing the entry of Cardinal Pizzaballa and Fr. Ielpo, who hold the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and Holy Places, "constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure."

The joint statement further underscored that "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 Patriarch and Custos both expressed their "profound sorrow" to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and around the world "that prayer on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar has thus been prevented."