Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was unable to access the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre this Palm Sunday in Jerusalem, after Israeli police prevented him from entering as he was heading to celebrate Mass.
According to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem jointly with the Custody of the Holy Land, the events occurred on the morning of March 29, when the cardinal, along with the Custodian of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, was stopped on the way to the temple and forced to return, despite traveling privately and without any processional or ceremonial character.
The incident has prevented, for the first time in centuries, the highest-ranking officials of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the holiest place in Christianity, which has been described as a “grave precedent.”
Ecclesiastical authorities emphasize that, since the start of the conflict in the region, they have strictly complied with all imposed restrictions, canceling public events, prohibiting the attendance of the faithful, and organizing the broadcast of the celebrations for millions of people around the world.
In this context, they consider the decision to prevent access to the cardinal and the custodian—direct responsible parties for the Holy Places—to be a “manifestly unreasonable and disproportionate” measure, as well as a violation of freedom of worship and respect for the so-called “status quo” that regulates the holy places in Jerusalem.
The Latin Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land have also expressed their deep regret over what happened, emphasizing that prayer has been impeded on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar for the faithful both in the Holy Land and around the world.
Below is the full statement:
Joint Statement
Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and Custody of the Holy Land
Holy City of Jerusalem
Palm Sunday, March 29, 2026
This morning, Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, along with the Custodian of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Father Francesco Ielpo, OFM, official guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from accessing the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they were heading to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.
Both were stopped on the way, while traveling privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were forced to return. As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
This incident constitutes a grave precedent and shows a lack of consideration for the sensitivity of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look toward Jerusalem.
The Church leaders have acted with full responsibility and, since the start of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were canceled, attendance was prohibited, and celebrations were organized to be broadcast to hundreds of millions of faithful around the world who, during these Easter days, direct their gaze to Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Preventing entry to the cardinal and the Custodian, who hold the highest ecclesiastical responsibility over the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and gravely disproportionate measure.
This hasty and fundamentally erroneous decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme deviation from the basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the status quo.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land express their deep regret to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and around the world for the fact that prayer on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar has been impeded in this way.