Israel bars Catholic leaders from Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday citing Iranian missile threat

Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to conduct a private service for Palm Sunday, marking a historic disruption of centuries-old Christian traditions.

The Israeli government contends that Jerusalem’s primary holy sites, including the historic church, remain closed because the city is a frequent target of Iranian missiles.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the police decision as a “clearly unreasonable and extreme disproportionate measure.” The restriction barred the church’s two highest-ranking clerics in the Holy Land—Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land—from celebrating Palm Sunday at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and initiates Holy Week observances, which culminate in Easter.

Israeli police stated they informed church officials on Saturday that services could not proceed due to security concerns, citing the inability of emergency vehicles to access the narrow streets of the Old City and a lack of adequate shelters.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted there was “no malice” involved and that the cardinal was barred solely due to security considerations. He added that Israel would attempt to partially reopen the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the coming days.

“Given the sanctity of the week leading up to Easter for Christians around the world, Israel’s security forces are preparing a plan to ensure church leaders can worship at the holy site in the days ahead,” Netanyahu wrote on X.

The Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, also remains largely closed due to security issues. However, authorities permit up to 50 people at a time to pray in an enclosed area adjacent to the plaza.

Smaller churches, synagogues, and mosques within the Old City remain open, provided they are within a specific distance of a shelter deemed acceptable by the Israeli military and that gatherings remain below 50 people.

However, the Latin Patriarchate noted that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has hosted non-public services since the conflict with Iran began on Feb. 28. Officials expressed confusion as to why Sunday’s service and the entry of two priests were treated differently.

“This is a very, very holy day for Christians, and in our view, there was no justification for such a decision or action,” said Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Jubran stated that the church had requested police allow a few religious leaders to enter for a private, non-public ceremony. The Patriarchate maintained that the decision obstructed freedom of worship and violated the established “status quo” in Jerusalem.

During the traditional Palm Sunday procession, tens of thousands of Christians from around the globe typically march from the Mount of Olives into the Old City, waving palm branches and singing.

The Patriarchate canceled the traditional procession last week due to security concerns, opting instead for services limited to fewer than 50 participants, in accordance with Israeli military guidelines for civilians.

Pizzaballa instead held the service at the nearby Monastery of St. Saviour, a high-walled marble church located next to an underground music school that the Israeli military considers a secure shelter area.

Later on Sunday, Pizzaballa prayed for peace at the Dominus Flevit Shrine on the Mount of Olives. His sermon focused on Jesus and did not reference the morning’s incident.

At the conclusion of a Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV said he was praying for all Christians in the Middle East, whom he described as living in the midst of a “terrible” conflict. Without providing specific details, he noted that “in many cases, they cannot fully live out the liturgies of these holy days.”

The closure has sparked a wave of criticism suggesting that Israeli authorities have gone too far in restricting worship, drawing rebukes even from Israel’s closest allies, including the US.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a devout evangelical Christian, called the incident an “unfortunate excess.”

In a statement, he noted that the planned prayer with Pizzaballa and others was well below the 50-person limit set for gatherings.

“The prevention of the Patriarch’s entry into the church for a private ceremony on Palm Sunday is a situation that is difficult to understand or justify,” the ambassador wrote.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the event, stating it contributed to a “worrying increase in violations of the status of the Holy Sites in Jerusalem.”

“The free exercise of worship for all religions must be guaranteed in Jerusalem,” Macron wrote in a post on X.

Italian officials across the political spectrum condemned the restriction on Cardinal Pizzaballa, an Italian prelate considered a leading candidate for the papacy in a future conclave.

The Italian government officially protested the incident to Israeli authorities and summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome for an explanation.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated that the police action “constitutes an offense not only to the faithful but to every society that recognizes religious freedom.”

Meloni’s conservative government has sought to maintain a balanced stance toward Israel during the war in Gaza, supporting Israel’s right to defense while condemning the humanitarian cost paid by Palestinians. The Italian leader also emphasized that while Italy would not join the war against Iran, the Islamic Republic cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.

In an interview with the Italian Catholic broadcaster TG2000, Pizzaballa said there was a disagreement with Israeli authorities regarding access to the church, but noted that the dispute was conducted politely.

“We want to use this situation to better clarify what will be done in the coming days; of course, while looking out for everyone’s safety, we also want to respect the right to pray,” Pizzaballa said.