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Israeli police prevent Catholic leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday mass in Jerusalem

Police said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been notified that no mass could take place on Palm Sunday because of safety considerations

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Issa Kassissieh, a Palestinian Christian, holds a cross and a palm frond while standing at the doors of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after finding them locked on Palm Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Associated Press

The Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate mass on the Christian holiday of Palm Sunday for the first time in centuries, the Latin Patriarchate said on Sunday.

Jerusalem’s major holy sites, including the church, are closed because of the continuing war in Iran, as the city has come under frequent fire from Iranian missiles.

The Catholic Church called the police decision “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure”. It prevented two of the church’s top religious leaders, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and the head of the Custos in the Holy Land, from celebrating Palm Sunday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified.
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Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem and launches the Holy Week commemorations for Christians who follow the Latin calendar, which culminates in Easter next Sunday.

The Israeli police said it had notified the Catholic Church on Saturday that no mass could take place on Palm Sunday because of safety considerations, the lack of access for emergency vehicles in narrow alleys of the Old City and lack of adequate shelter.

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However, the Latin Patriarchate said the Church of the Holy Sepulchre has been hosting Masses that are not open to the public since the Iran war began on February 28, and it was unclear why Sunday’s mass and access by the two priests was any different.

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