Israeli police bar Latin Patriarch from Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday

Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, Anadolu reports. In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said Pizzaballa, along with the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, was stopped while heading privately to the church and “was compelled to turn back.” The Patriarchate said the incident marked the first time in centuries that church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest Christian sites. It described the incident as a “grave precedent” that “disregards the sensitivities of billions” of Christians worldwide, particularly during Holy Week, when attention is focused on Jerusalem. READ: Pro-Palestinian French […]