Israeli police block Latin Patriarch from Palm Sunday mass in Jerusalem
Prime Minister Netanyahu said it was a safety measure following recent Iranian strikes.
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Israeli police block Latin Patriarch from Palm Sunday mass in Jerusalem 17 minutes ago Share Save Maia Davies Share Save Israeli police have blocked Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday mass "for the first time in centuries", church authorities in Jerusalem said. The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Rev Francesco Ielpo were stopped outside the holy site on the first day of the most important period in the Christian calendar, their office said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said worshippers "from all faiths" had been asked not to attend sites in Jerusalem's Old City for safety reasons after recent Iranian attacks. But the move has drawn strong international criticism, including from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who said it was an "unfortunate overreach" that was "difficult to understand or justify". Church authorities said in a statement that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Rev Francesco Ielpo had been "compelled" to turn back from the church - the holiest site in Christianity - on Sunday. The church is believed by Christians to be built on the site of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection. "This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world, who during this week, look to Jerusalem," a statement from the patriarchate said. "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 patriarchate said it had followed all "imposed restrictions" and acted responsibly since the war began, adding that Sunday's decision was "a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure". Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the move was "an offence not only against believers but against every community that recognises religious freedom", while ...
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