This morning, Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa , Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Monsignor Francesco Ielpo, official Custodian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, while they were on their way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass. The two were stopped along the way , while traveling privately and without any procession or ceremony, and were forced to turn back. This is a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

"This incident," the Patriarchate continues, "sets a grave precedent and ignores the sensitivity of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem." "The Heads of Churches have acted with full responsibility," it continues, "and, since the beginning of the war, have complied with all the imposed restrictions : public gatherings have been canceled, participation has been prohibited, and arrangements have been made to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of faithful around the world, who, during these days of Easter, turn their gaze to Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre."

"Preventing entry to the Cardinal and the Custos, who hold the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places," it continues, "constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and disproportionate measure . This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme violation of the fundamental 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 profound sorrow to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world that prayer on one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar has been thus impeded," it concludes.

Meloni: "An offense to believers."

The Italian government's reaction was immediate: " The Italian government expresses its closeness to Cardinal Pizzaballa, Father Ielpo, and the religious figures who were prevented today by the Israeli authorities from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass in the Holy Sepulchre," declared Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. " The Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is a sacred place of Christianity, and as such must be preserved and protected for the celebration of sacred rites ," she added. "Preventing the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Custos of the Holy Land from entering, especially on a solemnity as central to the faith as Palm Sunday, constitutes an offense not only to believers, but to every community that recognizes religious freedom."

"I wish to express my deepest solidarity with the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, official Custodian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It is unacceptable to have prevented them from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote in X. "I have immediately instructed our Ambassador to Israel to express our outrage to the Tel Aviv authorities and to reaffirm Italy's position in protecting religious freedom at all times and under all circumstances." And again: " I have instructed the Israeli Ambassador to be summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tomorrow to seek clarification on the decision to prevent Cardinal Pizzaballa from celebrating Palm Sunday."

What happened in Jerusalem, commented Defense Minister Guido Crosetto , "is serious and deeply worrying. It is an unprecedented event, which affects not only the religious authorities involved, but millions of believers around the world. We are talking about one of the holiest places in Christianity, a universal symbol of faith, history, and spirituality."

From France, President Emmanuel Macron also reacted with firm "condemnation."

The heart of Jerusalem's Old City for Christians is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, known as the "Church of the Resurrection": inside are Calvary, the site of Jesus' crucifixion and death, and the Tomb of Christ. The Franciscans of the Order of Friars Minor are the custodians of the Holy Sepulchre on behalf of the Catholic Church, which they share with the Greek Orthodox Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church.

(Unioneonline)

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