Catholic Leaders Barred From Jerusalem Holy Site on Palm Sunday
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Israeli police prevented two senior Roman Catholic leaders, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Rev. Francesco Ielpo, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, citing safety concerns amid ongoing regional tensions.
- The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a significant Christian holy site believed to be where Jesus was crucified and buried, has been largely closed to the public since the war with Iran began.
- The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land condemned the incident as unprecedented in centuries, emphasizing that the leaders were visiting privately and not as part of any official ceremony.
- Israeli police explained the restriction was due to the difficulty of accessing the church quickly in case of an emergency, given the narrow alleys of Jerusalem’s Old City.
- The incident has sparked outrage among local church officials and some world leaders at the start of the holiest week on the Christian calendar.
