Israeli police prevent Church leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass

Church of the Holy Sepulchre doors. Image: LPJ

Source: Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, ACN Ireland

Israeli police this morning stopped the two Catholic Church leaders in the Holy Land from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has issued this statement:

This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass.

The two were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were compelled to turn back. 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.

This incident is a grave precedent, and disregard the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem.

The Heads of the Churches 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.

Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.

This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land express their 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.

Aid to the Church in Need Ireland (ACN) has expressed 'profound concern that on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar, freedom of worship in the Holy City has been restricted.'

ACN states: 'At the same time, we have received reports from Syria that Palm Sunday processions outside churches have been cancelled in several regions, including Damascus and Aleppo. Celebrations inside churches have continued, while the outdoor processions were suspended due to ongoing insecurity and as a sign of solidarity following a recent attack against a Christian village on Friday.

'Similarly, in the dioceses of Erbil and Mosul in Iraq, outdoor processions have also been cancelled along with other events for families.

'We join in prayer for peace in the Holy Land, Syria, and Iraq, for local Christians, and for respect for the Holy Places and religious freedom.'