Israel police prevent Catholic leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at Jerusalem church

Israeli constabulary prevented Catholic leaders from entering nan Church of nan Holy Sepulchre to observe Mass connected nan Christian vacation of Palm Sunday for nan first clip successful centuries, nan Latin Patriarchate said connected Sunday.

Jerusalem's awesome beatified sites are closed because of nan ongoing Iran war, including nan church, arsenic nan metropolis has travel nether predominant occurrence from Iranian missiles.

The Catholic Church called nan constabulary determination “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.” It prevented 2 of nan church’s apical belief leaders, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and nan caput of nan Custos successful nan Holy Land, from celebrating Palm Sunday astatine nan spot wherever Christians judge Jesus was crucified.

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant introduction into Jerusalem and launches nan Holy Week commemorations for Christians who travel nan Latin calendar, which culminates successful Easter adjacent Sunday.

The Israeli constabulary said it had notified nan Catholic Church connected Saturday that nary Mass could return spot connected Palm Sunday because of information considerations, nan deficiency of entree for emergency vehicles successful constrictive alleys of nan Old City and deficiency of capable shelter.

However, nan Latin Patriarchate said nan Church of nan Holy Sepulchre has been hosting Masses that aren't unfastened to nan nationalist since nan Iran warfare began connected Feb. 28, and it was unclear why Sunday’s Mass and entree by nan 2 priests was immoderate different.

“It’s a very, very ineffable time for Christians and successful our sentiment location was nary justification for specified a determination aliases specified an action,” said Farid Jubran, nan spokesperson for nan Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Jubran said that nan religion had requested support from nan constabulary for a fewer belief leaders to participate nan religion for a backstage Mass connected Sunday — not 1 that was unfastened to nan public. The Patriarchate said that nan determination impeded state of believe and nan position quo successful Jerusalem.

The accepted Palm Sunday convoy usually sees tens of thousands of Christians from astir nan world locomotion from nan Mount of Olives down nan narrow, hilly streets toward nan Old City, waving thenar fronds and singing.

The Patriarchate canceled nan accepted processional past week because of information concerns, and has held Masses constricted to less than 50 worshippers successful compliance pinch nan Israeli military’s guidelines for civilians.

Pizzaballa celebrated Mass successful nan adjacent St. Savior’s Monastery, a soaring marble religion which is located adjacent to an underground euphony schoolhouse that nan Israeli subject has deemed a safe shelter space. Later connected Sunday, Pizzaballa held a dream for bid astatine nan Dominus Flevit Shrine connected nan Mount of Olives, but kept his homily concentrated connected Jesus and didn't mention nan morning’s incident.

Pope Leo XIV, astatine nan extremity of Palm Sunday Mass successful St. Peter’s Square, prayed for each Christians successful nan Middle East who he said were surviving done an “atrocious” conflict. He said that “in galore cases, they cannot unrecorded afloat nan rites of these beatified days,” though he didn’t elaborate.

The Vatican spokesperson didn’t instantly respond erstwhile asked to remark connected nan Jerusalem incident.

Italy formally protested nan incident to Israeli authorities. Premier Giorgia Meloni said that nan constabulary action “constitutes an discourtesy not only against believers but against each organization that recognizes belief freedom.”

“The Church of nan Holy Sepulchre successful Jerusalem is simply a ineffable tract of Christianity, and arsenic specified must beryllium preserved and protected for nan ceremony of ineffable rites,” Meloni said. “Preventing nan Patriarch of Jerusalem and nan Custos of nan Holy Land from entering, particularly connected a solemnity cardinal to nan religion specified arsenic Palm Sunday, constitutes an discourtesy not only against believers but against each organization that recognizes belief freedom.”

Meloni’s blimpish authorities tried to support a balanced position pinch Israel during nan warfare successful Gaza, supporting Israel’s correct to defense but condemning nan toll connected Palestinians.

The Italian leader has besides said that Italy won't participate successful nan Iran war, while affirming that nan Islamic Republic can't beryllium allowed to person atomic weapons.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani instructed Italy’s ambassador to Israel to convey nan protestation “and to reaffirm Italy’s committedness to protecting belief state astatine each times and nether each circumstances.”

In addition, Tajani summoned nan Israeli ambassador to Italy for talks connected Monday astatine nan Italian Foreign Ministry to activity explanation astir nan decision.