Latin patriarch of Jerusalem says Israeli police blocked him from Palm Sunday service

The Latin patriarch of Jerusalem said Israeli police blocked him from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday services, an unprecedented move that comes as war and security restrictions disrupt Christian observances across the region. 

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Roman Catholic leader in the Holy Land, was prevented from holding Palm Sunday Mass at the key holy site for the first time in centuries, according to a press release. 

Pizzabella and the guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Rev. Francesco Ielpo, were stopped en route to the church and were traveling “privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act,” and told by Israeli police they had to turn back. 

Israeli authorities have tightened security across Jerusalem’s Old City, limiting gatherings and restricting access to major religious sites due to fears of violence and missile threats tied to the regional war. 

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