Photo: Dietmar Rabich | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons
Pope Leo XIV Condemns Religious Justifications for War as Israel Bars Latin Patriarch From Holy Sepulchre Palm Sunday Mass Citing Iran War Security Risks
Pope Leo XIV used his Palm Sunday message to reject claims that God can justify war and lamented that Christians in the Middle East are living through an “atrocious” conflict that often prevents full observance of Holy Week. At the same time in Jerusalem, Israeli police — citing Iran‑related missile threats, crowd‑control and emergency‑access concerns — barred Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and a priest from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday, an action the Patriarchate called an unprecedented “grave precedent” that drew criticism from Italy, France and the United States while Israeli authorities said the restrictions apply to all faiths and said they are seeking solutions through dialogue.
📌 Key Facts
- Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Rev. Francesco Ielpo from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, forcing them to turn back; police explicitly told church authorities no Mass could take place because of safety concerns including lack of emergency-vehicle access and adequate shelter in the Old City.
- Israeli authorities say holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City have been closed and public gatherings restricted since the start of the Iran war (Feb. 28) under Home Front Command orders, applied to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, citing multiple recent missile attacks and crowd‑control/emergency‑access concerns; Israel Police defended the closures on X as “life‑saving restrictions.”
- The Latin Patriarchate called the blocking a “grave precedent,” saying it was the first time in centuries that the heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Holy Sepulchre; the Patriarchate also said the church had been hosting non‑public Masses since the Iran war began and that it had requested entry only for a small private service, with spokesperson Farid Jubran saying there was “no justification” for the block.
- Cardinal Pizzaballa celebrated Palm Sunday Mass instead at nearby St. Savior’s Monastery (adjacent to an underground music school designated by the Israeli military as a safe shelter) and later led a peace prayer at the Dominus Flevit shrine without publicly referencing the standoff.
- Local Christian worshippers mourned the loss of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives and said they were confined to limited‑attendance indoor ceremonies; the Patriarchate had already canceled the usual large procession and limited prior Masses to fewer than 50 worshippers in line with Israeli military guidelines.
- The closures and the barring of church leaders prompted international criticism and diplomatic action: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and French President Emmanuel Macron publicly condemned the move, summoned Israel’s ambassador in Rome and warned it violated religious freedom and the historic status of Jerusalem’s holy places; reporting also notes criticism from the United States alongside France and Italy.
- Israeli police acknowledged criticism and said they are in active dialogue with religious leaders, including a planned meeting with the Latin Patriarch, to find “solutions” that balance freedom of worship with public safety; President Isaac Herzog personally called restricted Christian worshippers to express “great sorrow,” framed the measures as security‑driven and reaffirmed Israel’s official commitment to freedom of religion and the status quo at holy sites.
- Pope Leo XIV, in his Palm Sunday remarks, said Christians in the Middle East are living through an “atrocious” conflict and often cannot fully observe Holy Week rites; his comments were a broader framing that aligned with the security context but did not specifically name the Jerusalem incident.
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
March 29, 2026
5:38 PM
Israeli police prevent Catholic leaders from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at church in Jerusalem
New information:
- Israeli police explicitly told church authorities on Saturday that no Mass could take place on Palm Sunday at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre due to safety concerns, including lack of emergency-vehicle access in the Old City’s narrow alleys and lack of adequate shelter.
- The Latin Patriarchate says the Holy Sepulchre has in fact been hosting non-public Masses since the Iran war began on Feb. 28 and that it had requested entry only for a small number of religious leaders for a private service, making this Palm Sunday denial a break from recent practice.
- Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate, is quoted saying there was “no justification” for blocking what he calls a very sacred day, while noting the Patriarchate has already canceled the usual large Palm Sunday procession and limited prior Masses to fewer than 50 worshippers in line with Israeli military guidelines.
- The article reports that Cardinal Pizzaballa celebrated Palm Sunday Mass instead at nearby St. Savior’s Monastery, which sits next to an underground music school designated by the Israeli military as a safe shelter, and later led a peace prayer at the Dominus Flevit Shrine without publicly referencing the standoff.
- Pope Leo XIV, in his Palm Sunday remarks, said Christians in the Middle East are living through an “atrocious” conflict and often cannot fully observe Holy Week rites, a broader framing that aligns with but does not specifically name the Jerusalem incident.
- The article notes that the closure sparked criticism from the United States, France and Italy, indicating a coordinated diplomatic reaction from major Western governments.
4:47 PM
Israel looking for 'solutions' to open Christian sites after barring church leader on Palm Sunday due to war
New information:
- Israel Police issued a video statement on X defending Palm Sunday closures at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and other Old City holy sites as 'life‑saving restrictions' under Home Front Command orders applied to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, citing multiple recent missile attacks on the Old City.
- Police acknowledged criticism and said they are in 'active dialogue' with religious leaders, including an upcoming meeting with the Latin Patriarch, to find 'solutions' that balance freedom of worship with public safety.
- President Isaac Herzog personally called restricted Christian worshippers to express 'great sorrow' over the incident, framing it as driven by security concerns tied to Iranian missile threats and reaffirming Israel’s official commitment to freedom of religion and the status quo at holy sites.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni issued a formal statement calling the prevention of Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo from entering the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday an 'offense' to religious freedom and stressing the church must be preserved for Christian rites.
2:28 PM
Catholic cardinal barred from entering Jerusalem's Church of Holy Sepulchre
New information:
- Israeli police prevented Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Rev. Francesco Ielpo from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, forcing them to turn back.
- The Latin Patriarchate says this is the first time in centuries that the heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Holy Sepulchre, calling it a 'grave precedent' and 'manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate.'
- Israeli police claim all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City have been closed and public gatherings restricted since the start of the Iran war, citing crowd‑control and emergency‑access concerns, though the Patriarchate says Pizzaballa was proceeding privately, not in a procession.
- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and French President Emmanuel Macron publicly condemned the move, summoning Israel’s ambassador in Rome and warning it violates religious freedom and the historic status of Jerusalem’s holy places.
- Local Christian worshippers describe mourning the loss of the traditional Palm Sunday procession from the Mount of Olives and say they are confined to limited‑attendance indoor ceremonies instead of public street processions.