The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, were prevented by Israeli Police from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem this morning, the Latin Patriarchate announced in a joint press release with the Custody of the Holy Land.
The leaders, who were on their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass, “were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were compelled to turn back,” the statement said.
“As a result, and 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 press release described the incident as “a grave precedent, and disregard[ing] the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.”
It noted that the Church authorities “have acted with full responsibility and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were cancelled, attendance was prohibited, and arrangements were 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.”
The statement condemned the police action as “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” adding that the decision was “hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations” and represented “an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.”
Expressing their disappointment, the Latin Patriarchate and Custody of the Holy Land said, “We express our profound sorrow to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world that prayer on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar has thus been prevented.”
