All Holy week and Easter celebrations now allowed at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

 

Detail of the interior of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem 

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• Pierbattista Pizzaballa
• Holy Land
• Jerusalem
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• Israel
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Jerusalem: Easter celebrations ensured at Holy Sepulchre

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land say an agreement has been reached with Israeli authorities to ensure the celebration of Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Restrictions linked to the ongoing conflict, however, remain in place, and liturgies will be streamed for the faithful around the world.

Vatican News 

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29/03/2026

Israeli police stop Latin Patriarch from entering Church of Holy Sepulchre

In a joint statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land confirm that “all matters concerning the Holy Week and Easter celebrations at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre have been addressed and resolved in coordination with the relevant authorities.”

“In agreement with the Israeli Police, access for representatives of the Churches has been secured in order to conduct the liturgies and ceremonies and to preserve the ancient Easter traditions at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement adds.

The agreement follows the incident that occurred on Sunday when the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pizzaballa and Fr Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, were stopped by Israeli police outside the church as they were planning to hold a Mass to mark the start of Holy Week.

Cardinal Pizzaballa's office said it was "the first time in centuries" a Latin Patriarch had been turned away from the holy site on Palm Sunday.

Celebrations to be streamed

The joint statement also says that “in light of the current state of war, existing restrictions on public gatherings remain in force.”

For this reason, the Churches will provide live streaming of liturgies and prayers, allowing the faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world to participate spiritually.

The religious authorities go on to express gratitude to Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, for his timely and decisive intervention, and extend their thanks to heads of State and officials who acted promptly, many of whom personally expressed their closeness and support.

Religious freedom as a universal value

The statement strongly emphasises that “religious faith constitutes a supreme human value, shared by all religions, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Druze and others. Especially in times of hardship and conflict, such as those presently endured, safeguarding the freedom of worship remains a fundamental and shared duty.”

Ongoing dialogue and hope for peace

The ecclesiastical authorities express the hope that appropriate solutions will continue to be found “enabling prayer to take place in places of worship, particularly in the Holy Places, of all religions,” balancing security needs with the right to religious practice, which is fundamental for hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide.

Thus, the Church maintains ongoing dialogue with the authorities, including the Israeli Police, while renewing its prayer for an end to the war that is deeply affecting the entire region.

“The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land reaffirm their commitment to dialogue, mutual respect, and the preservation of the Status Quo,” the statement concludes.

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 

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• Holy Land
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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."

Pope Leo XIV focuses on plight of Christians in the Middle East on Palm Sunday

 

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican  (@Vatican Media)

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Pope recalls many Middle East Christians who suffer with Christ during Holy Week

Pope Leo XIV decries the fact that many Christians in the Middle East will be unable to celebrate Holy Week rites, urging everyone to remember the many people who share in Christ's suffering as the Church contemplates the Mystery of the Lord's Passion.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Precisely as the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s Passion, we cannot forget those who today truly share in His suffering."

Pope Leo XIV made this observation at the conclusion of his Palm Sunday Mass in the Vatican.

He drew the Church's attention to the plight of Christians in the Middle East, saying their "trial calls upon the conscience of all."

"At the beginning of Holy Week, we are closer than ever in prayer to the Christians of the Middle East, who suffer the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live the rites of these holy days," he said.

The Pope invited the faithful to join him in raising their supplication to the Prince of Peace, "that He may sustain peoples wounded by war and open concrete paths of reconciliation and peace."

Before reciting the midday Angelus prayer, the Pope entrusted to the Lord seafarers who are victims of war, saying he prays for the deceased, the wounded, and their families.

"Earth, sky, and sea," he underscored, "are created for life and for peace."

Finally, Pope Leo urged the Church to pray for all migrants who have died at sea, in particular for those who lost their lives in recent days off the coast of the island of Crete.

Pope Leo XIV at Palm Sunday Mass; declares that Jesus does not hear the prayers of those who wage war

 

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• Pope Leo XIV
• mass
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Pope at Palm Sunday Mass: ‘Jesus does not listen to prayers of those who wage war’

Pope Leo XIV presides at Mass on Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, and reflects on Jesus as the King of Peace who rejects war and refuses to listen to the prayers of those who wage war.

By Devin Watkins

On Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

In his homily, the Pope reflected on Jesus’ revelation of Himself as the King of Peace, even as violence loomed around Him.

As Jesus walked the Way of the Cross, we walk with Him and contemplate His passion which He bore for the sake of humanity as a gift of love.

“He remains steadfast in meekness, while others are stirring up violence,” said the Pope. “He offers Himself to embrace humanity, even as others raise swords and clubs.”

Jesus, he added, came to bring life and light to the world, even as darkness and death was about to engulf Him.

Pope Leo pointed out that Jesus desired to bring the world to the Father’s arms and to tear down every barrier that keeps us from God and our neighbor.

Repeating “King of Peace” several times, the Pope highlighted Jesus’ actions in His Passion that bear witness to His desire to bring peace.

When one of His disciples struck the high priest’s servant and cut of his ear, Jesus commanded the disciple to put away his sword, recalling that those who live by the sword die by the sword.

As He was crucified and put to death, Jesus did not arm or defend Himself but allowed Himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter.

“He revealed the gentle face of God, who always rejects violence,” he said. “Rather than saving Himself, He allowed Himself to be nailed to the cross, embracing every cross borne in every time and place throughout human history.”

Pope Leo XIV went on to recall the prophet Isaiah’s words: “Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood” (Is 1:15).

“Jesus is the King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war,” said the Pope. “He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.”

He lamented the many wounds of the human family in our world today, as people cry out to God with the “painful groans of all those who are oppressed by violence and are victims of war.”

“Christ, King of Peace, cries out again from His cross: God is love! Have mercy! Lay down your weapons!  Remember that you are brothers and sisters!” said the Pope.

In conclusion, Pope Leo highlighted the words of Servant of God Bishop Tonino Bello, reflecting on the Blessed Virgin Mary who stood at the foot of her Son’s cross.

“Holy Mary, woman of the third day, grant us the certainty that, in spite of all, death will no longer hold sway over us; that the injustices of peoples are numbered; that the flashes of war are fading into the twilight; that the sufferings of the poor are breathing their last,” he said. “And grant, finally, that the tears of all the victims of violence and pain will soon be dried up like frost beneath the spring sun.”

Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week

 

Lent: March 29th

Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion

From the Gospel at the Procession with the Palms, Year A: The very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and strewed them on the road. The crowds preceding him and those following kept crying out and saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest." And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken and asked, "Who is this?" And the crowds replied, "This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee." (Matt 21:7-11)

Today is Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion during which we commemorate Christ's entry into Jerusalem for the completion of the Paschal Mystery.

The Palm Sunday procession is formed of Christians who, in the "fullness of faith," make their own the gesture of the Jews and endow it with its full significance. Following the Jews' example we proclaim Christ as a Victor... Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord. But by our faith we know, as they did not, all that His triumph stands for. He is the Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God. He is the sign of contradiction, acclaimed by some and reviled by others. Sent into this world to wrest us from sin and the power of Satan, He underwent His Passion, the punishment for our sins, but issues forth triumphant from the tomb, the victor over death, making our peace with God and taking us with Him into the kingdom of His Father in heaven.

Liturgy for Palm Sunday

The priests and deacons wear red vestments for Mass. There is a special entrance at the beginning of each Mass, either simple or solemn. This includes a blessing of the palms and the gospel reading of the entrance into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-10; John 12:12-16; Luke 19:28-40). The introduction by the priest explains the solemnity of Holy Week, and invites the faithful to take full part in the celebration:

Dear friends in Christ, for five weeks of Lent we have been preparing, by works of charity and self-sacrifice, for the celebration of our Lord's paschal mystery. Today we come together to begin this solemn celebration in union with the whole Church throughout the world. Christ entered in triumph into his own city, to complete his work as our Messiah: to suffer, to die, and to rise again. Let us remember with devotion this entry which began his saving work and follow him with a lively faith. United with him in his suffering on the cross, may we share his resurrection and new life.

The palms are blessed with the following prayer:

Almighty God, we pray you bless these branches and make them holy. Today we joyfully acclaim Jesus our Messiah and King. May we reach one day the happiness of the new and everlasting Jerusalem by faithfully following him who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

As the faithful, we remember and dramatize Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey. In Jesus' time, a huge crowd assembled, put their cloaks or branches on the ground, and waved palm branches, acclaiming Christ as the King of Israel, the Son of David. We now wave our palm branches and sing as the priest enters the church:

Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.

These words of praise are echoed every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at the Sanctus (Holy, Holy).

Our joy is quickly subdued. We are jolted to reality and see the purpose of Christ coming to Jerusalem by the reading of the Passion at the Gospel. (Written by Jennifer Gregory Miller)

Symbolism of the Palm Sunday Service
In the actions and object proper to today's liturgy the Church displays a rich symbolism, one deserving our special attention. The procession, for instance, is more than a mere memory; for in it we are actually accompanying Christ here and now. How is that true? Because Christ is present in three ways; firstly, in mere symbol, on the Cross which heads the procession; secondly, in His representative the priest; thirdly, in all of us as a community gathered together in His name. We are the Church of this place; and Christ, according to His promise, is in the midst of us.

But also this procession looks to the future. Christ, in His redemptive work, passed from this world into heaven, which is called the New Jerusalem. If our church stands for the earthly Jerusalem of old, it stands also for the New Jerusalem of heaven. When Christ comes again at the end of the world, He will lead our risen bodies, now joined to their souls, into heaven. And so, as we enter now with Christ's representative, the priest, we should think of the day when we hope to enter heaven itself with Christ our King. Our procession is a kind of rehearsal, in a symbolic way, of our final passover on the Last Day.

Now let us turn our minds from the future to the past. Christ and His followers entered Jerusalem, just as we now enter this church. But why did He go to Jerusalem? Was it to be crowned there as King? Not at all. He went there to suffer and die for our sakes, and to win through all His terrible passion and death to His resurrection. Our salvation depends on following Him; we must die with Him if ever we are to rise with Him. And therefore, in the official prayer of the Mass, which the priest lays before God as our spokesman, we ask that "with the lesson of His endurance before us, we may be found worthy to have fellowship in His resurrection." How earnestly we should add our Amen to that prayer.

Pope Leo XIV offers Mass in Monaco; be a witness to living in peace

 

Pope

• apostolic journey
• Principality of Monaco
• mass
• homily
• Pope Leo XIV

Pope at Mass in Monaco: 'You are called to bear witness to living in peace'

During Mass in the Principality of Monaco, Pope Leo XIV urges everyone not to grow "accustomed to the clamor of weapons and images of war," and insists that the Church in Monaco is called to bear witness to living in peace.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

"Let us not grow accustomed to the clamor of weapons and images of war!" 

Pope Leo XIV made this powerful reminder to the faithful of Monaco during the Mass he celebrated at Louis II Stadium during his one-day Apostolic Journey to the Principality.

READ POPE LEO'S FULL HOMILY HERE

In his homily, the Pope stressed, "Every life cut short wounds the body of Christ," and reminded that, "Peace is not merely a balance of power; it is the work of purified hearts, of those who see others as brothers and sisters to be protected, not enemies to be defeated."

The Holy Father began his homily recalling that today's Gospel reading, according to St. John, recounts the cruel sentence issued against Jesus, telling of the day when the members of the Sanhedrin planned to put him to death. The Pope reasoned that the decision was largely a political calculation rooted in fear. "If Jesus continued to inspire hope and turn the people’s sorrow into joy, the Romans would come and devastate the nation."

Pope Leo, therefore, explained that rather than recognize Jesus as the Messiah, as the long-awaited Christ, the religious leaders saw Him as a threat.

The Pope observed that we witness two opposing forces, "on the one hand, the revelation of God, who presents himself as the almighty Lord and Savior; and on the other, the hidden schemes of powerful authorities who are eager to kill without scruples." The Pope suggested that not much has changed when we look at our world today.

How many plots devised to kill the innocent!

"Even today, how many plots are devised around the world to kill the innocent!" Pope Leo condemned, observing, "How many excuses are made to justify their elimination!"

Yet, despite the persistence of evil, Pope Leo reassured, "God’s eternal justice always rescues us from our graves, as it did with Lazarus, and gives us new life."  

He recalled that the Lord frees us from pain by instilling hope and converts our hardened hearts. His mercy, Pope Leo said, saves the world and nurtures every human life in all its frailty, from the moment it grows in the womb until it withers away.

The Pope recalled how the Prophet Ezekiel, in the First Reading, testifies to how God carries out His plan of salvation, beginning with liberation and realized through the sanctification of the people, who embark upon a journey of conversion, much like our own Lenten journey.  

Likewise, we are invited, the Pope suggested, to become involved, "rather than remaining at a private or individual level, so that our relationships with God and with our neighbors can be transformed."

The Pope recalled that liberation takes the form of a purification from the “idols” that defiled the people, all those things that enslave our hearts, deceiving and corrupting them, and stressing, "The Lord changed the course of history by calling us from idolatry to true faith, from death to life."

Faced with many injustices and wars

The Pope thus continued, noting that in the face of the many injustices that afflict peoples and the wars that tear nations apart, the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “I will turn their mourning into joy, I will gladden them, I will comfort them after their sorrow," resound with strength.   

Idolatry, the Pope noted, makes people slaves of each other, but purification from idolatry sanctifies them. "It is a gift of grace that makes people children of God, and brothers and sisters to one another.   "This gift," he pointed out, "sheds light on our present, for the wars that stain it with blood are the fruit of the idolatry of power and money." 

"Every life cut short wounds the body of Christ," Pope Leo decried, appealing, "Let us not grow accustomed to the clamor of weapons and images of war!  

Thus, the Pope emphasized that peace does not consist simply of a balance of power, but is the work of purified hearts, "of those who see others as brothers and sisters to be protected, not enemies to be defeated."

Bring happiness to others through your faith

Thus, the Pope reminded those before him that the Church in Monaco is called to bear witness to living in peace and with God’s blessing.  "Therefore, dear friends, bring happiness to others through your faith, by manifesting authentic joy, which is not won through a wager, but shared through charity." 

God’s love, the Pope said, is the "source of this joy: love for new and vulnerable life, which should always be welcomed and cared for; love for the young and the elderly, who should receive encouragement through life’s challenges; love for the healthy and the sick, who are sometimes alone, and are always in need of attentive accompaniment."  

Amid evil raging in world, the Lord sustains us and the Church

He prayed the Virgin Mary help them to provide a welcoming and dignified space for the little ones and the poor, and to promote integral and inclusive development.

"In the world’s prolonged Lent, when evil rages and idolatry makes hearts indifferent, the Lord prepares His Easter," Pope Leo said, reassuring the Lord sustains our pilgrimage and the Church’s mission in the world.

Pope Leo XIV holds midday prayer with the Catholic community of Monaco

 

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Pope Leo in Monaco: Christ calls the Church to communion

Pope Leo XIV invites the Catholic community of Monaco to renew a faith capable of addressing secularism, promoting dignity, and proclaiming the Gospel with creativity and conviction.

By Linda Bordoni

In the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, at the heart of the Principality, Pope Leo XIV gathered with the Catholic community of Monaco on Saturday morning for the celebration of Midday Prayer, and offered a reflection centred on Christ as “our advocate before the Father.”

Addressing the faithful, the Pope began with the words of the Apostle John: “We have an advocate before God: Jesus Christ, the righteous one,” and he invited all present to contemplate the mystery of salvation as God’s initiative of mercy toward a humanity marked by weakness and sin.

Christ, he said, “took upon himself the evil found in humanity and in the world (…)  and has overcome this evil, transforming it and freeing us forever.”

Greeting Prince Albert II of Monaco, Archbishop Dominique-Marie David, and the clergy and faithful, the Pope expressed his joy at sharing in the life of a local Church distinguished by its diversity and openness.

The gift of communion

Reflecting on Jesus as our advocate, Pope Leo XIV first highlighted the gift of communion. Christ, he said, “reconciles us with the Father and with one another,” not through condemnation, but through mercy that “purifies, heals, transforms and makes us part of the one family of God.”

This communion, he noted, is also social in its implications. Jesus’ mission restores not only spiritual well-being but also human dignity, reintegrating individuals into the community. In this light, the Church is called to be “a reflection in this world of the love of God which shows no favouritism.”

Turning to the local context, the Pope observed that Monaco’s social and cultural diversity is a richness, not a division. “In the Church,” he said, “such variety should never become the occasion of division into social classes,” but rather a sign that all are welcomed as “persons and children of God.”

A Church that defends the human person

The Pope then highlighted a second dimension of Christ’s advocacy: the proclamation of the Gospel in defense of every human being. Jesus, he said, gives voice to those “forgotten and marginalized,” revealing a merciful God who “works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.”

In this perspective, the Church herself is called to be an “advocate,” committed to the integral development of the human person. The Gospel, he explained, must illuminate human identity, relationships, and the ultimate meaning of life.

Encouraging renewed missionary zeal, Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to “proclaim the Gospel of life, hope and love,” defending human dignity “from conception until natural death.” He also warned against the pressures of secularism, which risk reducing human life to individualism and economic productivity.

A living and prophetic faith

The Pope cautioned against allowing faith to become routine. “A living faith is always prophetic,” he said, capable of raising questions about justice, solidarity, and the ethical foundations of society.

Questioning whether the current economic and social models truly promote the dignity of all, or whether they remain confined to “the logic of profit as an end in itself,” the Pope concluded, inviting the faithful to fix their gaze on Christ, which he said, leads to a faith that transforms both personal life and society.

Such faith, he exhorted, must be communicated “through a fresh language and by new tools, including those that are digital,” with particular attention to those rediscovering their faith.