For the first time in centuries, senior Catholic leaders were prevented from entering Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulcher on Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar, sparking sharp international criticism and a wave of diplomatic reactions. The incident, which came against a backdrop of rising regional tensions and the ongoing conflict involving Iran, was condemned by church officials, foreign governments and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who called the move an “unfortunate overreaction”.
What happened: The priests returned on Palm Sunday
According to a joint press release issued by the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Patriarch of the Holy Land on March 29, Israeli police stopped Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Francesco Ilpo, the most senior Catholic authority in the area, and two other priests on their way to the church.
FILE – Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa arrives for a meeting of the College of Cardinals at the Vatican on April 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)
The statement emphasized that the group was traveling quietly, noting that they were “proceeding privately and without any attributes of procession or ceremonial function” when they were forced to turn back. As a result, the Patriarchate said it was a historic rupture, “for the first time in centuries, Church heads were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.” The church, widely revered as the place where Jesus Christ is believed to have been crucified, buried and resurrected, holds deep significance for Christians around the world, especially during Holy Week.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem/Photo via
Calling the decision unprecedented, the patriarchate warned that it “disregards the sensitivities of the billions of people around the world who, during this week, look towards Jerusalem,” adding that church leaders had already complied with wartime restrictions, including canceling public gatherings, barring attendance, and arranging broadcasts so that “millions of the faithful around the world” could still observe the ceremonies.It went further, calling the move “a patently inappropriate and wholly disproportionate measure” and a “hasty and fundamentally flawed decision”, warning that it represented “a serious precedent” and an “extreme departure from the basic principles of rationality, freedom of worship and respect for the status quo”.
Why Palm Sunday and the Church Matter
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, commemorating the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, when, according to the Gospels, crowds laid palm branches in his path. In Jerusalem, the day is traditionally marked by a large procession that starts from Bethphage on the Mount of Olives and descends through the Lions Gate into the Old City, an event that attracts thousands of pilgrims annually.
Christians walk in a Palm Sunday procession on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zweigenberg)
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is at the center of these rituals. It is considered by many Christians to be the holiest site in Christianity, believed to contain both the site of the crucifixion (Golgotha) and the tomb of Jesus. Holy Week culminates on Easter Sunday, making the period the holiest period in the Christian religious calendar. The restrictions affecting access to the church during this period took on both religious and symbolic significance far beyond Jerusalem.
Israel’s explanation: security fears amid Iran conflict
According to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli authorities interpreted the decision as a security measure related to the ongoing conflict with Iran, noting that the patriarch’s request to pray in the church had previously been reviewed and rejected due to the security situation. In a statement, Israeli police said the layout of the Old City “does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles”, warning that this significantly challenges response capabilities and “poses a real threat to human life in the event of mass casualties.” Police said all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City were closed to worshippers, especially those without protected places, “to protect public safety and security”.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an ex-post that he had intervened after learning of the incident following an international outcry, adding that he had instructed officials to give Cardinal Pizzaballa “full and immediate access” to the church. He linked the sanctions directly to the recent attacks, saying Iran had “repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles,” with one attack landing fragments just meters away from a church. Laying out the broader policy, Netanyahu said Israel had asked members of all religions to “temporarily refrain from worshiping” at key sites in the Old City to protect civilians, adding that Pizzaballa in particular had been asked to refrain from holding Mass “out of special concern for their safety.” Despite understanding the concern, Netanyahu said that as soon as he learned of the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, he “instructed officials to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes.”“ His office later acknowledged the sensitivity of the timing, saying security agencies were now working on plans to enable church leaders to worship during Holy Week. Israeli President Isaac Herzog also moved to defuse tensions, saying he had spoken to Pizzaballa to apologize and express his “great sorrow”, adding that the incident stemmed from “the constant threat of missile attacks from the Iranian terrorist regime” following recent attacks near the Old City.
International reaction and diplomatic fallout
This decision was sharply criticized even outside Israel. US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said the move was “an unfortunate overreach that is already having a major impact around the world,” arguing that while limiting large gatherings may be appropriate, preventing a private visit is “difficult to understand or justify.” Italy reacted at the highest level. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that the Church of the Holy Sepulcher “is a sacred place of Christianity, and as such it must be preserved and protected,” warning that barring church leaders “is an insult not only to believers, but to every community that recognizes religious freedom.” The Italian Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador to Italy Jonathan Peled to provide clarification on the incident, while other foreign embassies also sought clarification from the Israeli Foreign Ministry.French President Emmanuel Macron posted on Twitter that he expressed “full support for the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem and for Christians in the Holy Land who were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.” He condemned the Israeli police decision, calling it “a disturbing sequence of violations of the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem” and adding that “freedom of worship for all religions in Jerusalem must be ensured.“ This controversy has come to light amid widespread tension over access to religious places. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Indonesia, Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey jointly condemned Israel’s closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound to Muslim worshippers, calling such restrictions a “gross violation” of international law.
A widespread pattern of restrictions, and a symbolic rupture
The patriarch said the Palm Sunday incident was not an isolated mistake but part of the increasing pressure on religious life in the city during the war. Cardinal Pizzaballa himself described the situation as “a wound that many others have received from the conflict”, a comment that reflects how deeply the restrictions are being felt within the Christian community. According to reports cited by CNN, the barriers span across religions: Jewish worship at the Western Wall has been limited to 50 people per day, while Muslims have been completely barred from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque since the conflict escalated in late February, including throughout Ramadan.