Image source: CNN

Netanyahu orders access for Latin Patriarch to Holy Sepulchre after police barred Palm Sunday entry

Israeli police barred Cardinal Pizzaballa from entering Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday; Netanyahu then asked authorities to allow entry, citing security amid Iranian attacks. Italy and the Vatican criticized the ban.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre was initially closed to senior clergy when the Latin Patriarch were prevented from entering to celebrate Palm Sunday liturgies, prompting international outcry.

Israeli officials said the closures and limits on access to sites including the Temple Mount compound and Western Wall were imposed for public safety amid recent Iranian ballistic missile strikes and related security assessments.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he asked authorities to allow Cardinal Pizzaballa to enter the Holy Sepulchre and hold services during Palm Sunday and Holy Week given the religious significance of the period.

The international reactions were swift: Italy and other governments criticized the initial ban as an affront to religious freedom, while the Vatican and several Muslim-majority states condemned restrictions on worship at key sites in East Jerusalem.

Israeli police said the limited prayer arrangement followed a situational assessment and emphasized that measures were part of broader security and public safety protocols that have also limited worshipper numbers and closed some holy sites.

What position do you feel closer to?

Israeli security authorities

The temporary restriction on Cardinal Pizzaballa’s entry, followed by rapid correction, was a harsh but defensible security step in an exceptional threat environment.

Catholic & Vatican advocates

Barring Cardinal Pizzaballa from the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday is a grave violation of religious freedom and Christian dignity, only partially mitigated by the later reversal.

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