politics
March 29, 2026
Latin Patriarch 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.
TL;DR
- Israeli police blocked Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday services.
- This action is described as unprecedented and occurred amid tightened security measures in Jerusalem's Old City due to regional war fears.
- The Latin Patriarchate had already canceled other traditional Palm Sunday events.
- The Church of the Holy Sepulchre called the restriction an unreasonable and disproportionate measure that departs from principles of reasonableness and freedom of worship.
- Pope Leo XIV highlighted the suffering of Christians in the Middle East during his Palm Sunday Mass at the Vatican.
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