 "Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, holds a prayer service at the Church of All Nations to mark Palm Sunday, following the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives, amid restrictions on gathering in large groups and the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem, March 29, 2026. Reuters")
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, an Italian Catholic priest and Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, was blocked by Israeli police from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday (March 29). Pizzaballa, along with a church official guardian, the Rev Francesco Ielpo, attempted to travel to the church to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass. However, they were reportedly compelled to turn back.
The prevention marked the first time in centuries that Palm Sunday Mass could not be commemorated at the church, the holiest site in Christianity, where many believe Jesus was crucified. World leaders strongly condemned the prevention, terming it a “violation of religious freedom.”
However, today (March 30), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Pizzaballa would have “full and immediate access” to the Church after previously being prevented by Israeli authorities.
We take a look.
Why Israeli police blocked the Catholic cardinal
The reason cited for not allowing Pizzaballa to enter the Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre, was “ safety concerns and no malicious intent whatsoever.”
Earlier in the day on Sunday (March 29), Israeli police told Agence France-Presse (AFP), “Jerusalem’s Old City is a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles in case of a mass casualty incident.” They also noted that they received a request from Pizzaballa, and “it was clarified that it could not be approved.”
According to Israeli authorities, all holy sites in Jerusalem have been closed since the start of the war in West Asia. Large gatherings, including at religious places, and limited public gatherings to around 50 people, have been prohibited by Israeli officials.
A traditional Palm Sunday procession , which usually draws tens of thousands from around the world, had already been cancelled by the Latin Patriarchate. Ceremonies were conducted in other churches, with limits on attendance, reported CBS News.
Palm Sunday starts the Christian Holy Week, which ends with Easter. It commemorates Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem, just days before his crucifixion (observed on Good Friday), and his resurrection, celebrated as Easter. The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, believed to be the site of Jesus resurrection, is considered a major destination for Christians.
What the Patriarchate said about prevention
The Patriarchate’s statement noted that Pizzaballa and Ielpo were intercepted while proceeding privately, not as part of a procession or ceremonial act, and that “they had to turn back.”
Calling the prevention “grossly disproportionate,” the statement also slammed the Israeli police’s decision: “Hasty and fundamentally flawed and tainted by improper considerations.”
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem’s spokesperson, Farid Jubran, told Associated Press (AP) that the church had sought permission for a small group of religious leaders to enter and conduct a private Mass. Jubran noted that such private services have been held at the church since the war started.
What Benjamin Netanyahu said
Netanyahu later in the day addressed the issue, saying that Tehran has “repeatedly targeted” religious sites in Jerusalem. He also cited an incident: “In one strike, missile fragments crashed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.”
“Today, out of special concern for his safety, Cardinal Pizzaballa was asked to refrain from holding mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” Netanyahu wrote on X.
Adding, “Even though I understand this concern, as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes,” confirming that he told relevant authorities that Pizzaballa “be granted full and immediate access” to the church.
In an earlier post, the Israeli Prime Minister’s office stated that Pizzaballa was stopped “out of special concern for his safety,” and there “was no malicious intent whatsoever.”
Expressing regret, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on X, “I called the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and expressed my deep regret over the incident that occurred…”
Adding, “…I clarified Israel’s unwavering commitment to freedom of religion for all faiths and members of the various religions, and to maintaining the status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem. Additionally, I emphasised the need for future coordination with the Latin Patriarch…”
How the world reacted to Israel’s decision
Despite clarifications, the call for prevention caused condemnation.
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the police’s action “unfortunate overreach.” According to Huckabee, the group was “below the 50-person gathering restriction.”
“…Churches, synagogues, and mosques throughout Jerusalem have met with the restrictions of 50 or less. For the Patriarch to be barred from entry to the Church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony is difficult to understand or justify…” he wrote on X.
Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, described the action as a “violation of religious freedom.”
“The decision by Israeli police to bar Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday constitutes a violation of religious freedom and long-standing protections governing holy sites,” Kallas wrote on X.
Adding, “Freedom of worship in Jerusalem must be fully guaranteed, without exception, for all faiths. Jerusalem’s multi-religious character must be protected.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the police action as “an offence not only to the faithful but to any community that respects religious freedom,” CBS News reported.
Antonio Tajani, Italy’s foreign minister, called the incident “unacceptable” and said he had summoned Israel’s ambassador to discuss the matter.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticised the incident: “I condemn the decision of the Israeli police, which joins a disturbing sequence of violations of the status quo of the holy places in Jerusalem. Freedom of worship in Jerusalem must be ensured for all religions.”
The Jordanian foreign ministry asserted that it was a “flagrant violation of international law…”
Where Pizzaballa held the mass after prevention
Pizzaballa celebrated mass at the St Saviour’s Monastery, a nearby marble church situated next to an underground music school that the Israeli military has designated as a safe shelter, AP reported.
He later led a prayer for peace at the Dominus Flevit Shrine on the Mount of Olives. In his liturgy, which was shared online, Pizzaballa spoke about restrictions on Holy Week celebrations but did not specifically mention the morning’s events.
“In this afternoon of Palm Sunday, we gather without a procession, without palms waving through the streets. This absence is not merely a matter of formalities,” he said, adding, “Jerusalem remains a sign of both hope and sorrow, of grace and suffering. War will not erase the resurrection. Grief will not extinguish hope.”
With inputs from agencies