Jerusalem: Church of the Holy Sepulchre closed

Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Wiki image

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem/ICN

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem remains indefinitely closed to the public. The 4th century church, believed to be where Jesus was buried, and rose from the dead, was officially shut on 28 February 2026. Israeli authorities cite "security reasons" and "heightened alert" due to escalating regional tensions and the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Iran.

The shutdown is part of a broader restriction on all major holy sites in the Old City, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Western Wall.

On 12 March 2026, missile fragments fell within a few hundred metres of the church, further reinforcing the security concerns of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

The closure has halted traditional Lenten liturgies and pilgrimages, including the walking of the Via Dolorosa, for the first time in living memory.

Sami el-Yousef, chief executive officer of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said church leaders are negotiating with police to allow limited Holy Week and Easter services for clergy only, similar to restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is significant concern regarding the traditional Holy Fire ceremony for Orthodox Easter (12 April 2026) and its subsequent transport to Greece.

This is reported to be one of the longest continuous closures in the church's history. While it has closed briefly in the past for protests (2018) or the pandemic (2020), an indefinite closure due to regional warfare is described by church officials as "unprecedented."

Governed by the Status Quo, the 19th-century agreement that governs Jerusalem's holy places, the Holy Sepulchre has services for Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, Coptic, Syriac and Ethiopian Orthodox worshippers.

On Friday 20 March, Muslim worshippers were unable to take part in Eid prayers, marking the end of Ramadan in the al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. That has been closed since 28 February. Thousands prayed outside the Old City as Israeli police barricaded all entrances to the Mosque site.

In a joint statement, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, and the African Union Commission stressed that this closure constitutes "a grave violation of the existing historical and legal status quo in the Islamic and Christian holy sites in the occupied city of Jerusalem."