After global outrage, Israel & Catholic leaders reach compromise allowing limited prayer at Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
Cardinal clarifies: 'Everything was done in a very polite manner, I do not want to force the issue'
After Israeli police blocked the country’s top Catholic leader from praying at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, sparking global outrage, authorities said Monday that an agreement had been reached to allow limited prayer despite ongoing security measures.
The Israel Police announced on Monday morning that "a mutual framework has been established for upcoming Easter ceremonies" after a "productive meeting" with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
"Due to the complex security reality of Operation 'Roaring Lion,' ceremonies including the 'Holy Fire' will be held in a symbolic, limited format. This coordination ensures that freedom of worship is maintained alongside our shared, primary duty: the protection of human life."
Following a productive meeting between the Israel Police and Latin Catholic Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, a mutual framework has been established for upcoming Easter ceremonies.
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) March 30, 2026
Due to the complex security reality of Operation “Roaring Lion,” ceremonies including the “Holy… pic.twitter.com/uWcE4fnQMO
On the morning of Palm Sunday, police officers had blocked Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Father Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, from entering the church to mark the start of Holy Week.
The move triggered strong condemnation from dozens of heads of state and ambassadors from around the world, including friends of Israel like U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
Later on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had instructed the relevant authorities to grant Pizzaballa “full and immediate access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.”
I have instructed the relevant authorities that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch, be granted full and immediate access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) March 29, 2026
Over the past several days, Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three…
“Over the past several days, Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles. In one strike, missile fragments crashed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. To protect worshippers, Israel asked members of all faiths to temporarily abstain from worshipping at the Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City,” Netanyahu explained.
“Today, out of special concern for his safety, Cardinal Pizzaballa was asked to refrain from holding mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Even though I understand this concern, as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes.”
Cardinal Pizzaballa: “It is true that the police had said that the orders from the internal command prevented any kind of gathering in places where there is no shelter, but we had not asked for anything public, just a brief and small private ceremony to preserve the idea of the… https://t.co/uGNwus8RAw
— Rich Raho (@RichRaho) March 29, 2026
While the storm of global outrage was caused by the incident and the Latin Patriarchate’s statement calling it “a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world,” Pizzaballa himself clarified on Sunday evening, “There were no clashes; everything was done in a very polite manner.”
“I do not want to force the issue; we want to use this situation to try to clarify better in the coming days what to do, in respect for everyone's safety but also in respect for the right to prayer,” he told Italian media outlet TV2000.
“The events of this morning are important, but we must think about the general context. There are people who are far worse off than us and cannot celebrate for very different reasons. We are once again celebrating a subdued Easter,” the cardinal added.
Under Home Front Command directives, life-saving restrictions apply to all holy sites in the Old City—for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) March 29, 2026
The Old City has been targeted by murderous missiles multiple times this month, alongside constant fire on residential areas. These… pic.twitter.com/5crKOu9Pzd
However, the police also stated that Pizzaballa had requested entry to the church in advance but was denied.
“Since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, and in accordance with directives issued by the Home Front Command, all holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem have been closed to worshipers, particularly locations that do not have standard protected spaces, in order to safeguard public safety and security,” the police said in a statement on Sunday.
🌿 This is how the streets of Jerusalem looked during this year’s Palm Sunday procession!
— Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem (@LPJerusalem) March 29, 2026
Silent, empty of olive and palm branches and the faithful’s cheers,
Yet, the Patriarch invites us to welcome the King with hearts pondering the love that never gives up, but freely and… pic.twitter.com/f83Sp2PEmx
“The patriarch’s request was reviewed yesterday, and it was clarified that it could not be approved for the reasons outlined above.”
U.S. Ambassador Huckabee, who had strongly criticized the decision to block Pizzaballa, on Monday praised Netanyahu, who he said “personally & promptly intervened to allow Cardinal Pizzaballa access to Church of Holy Sepulcher. ALL holy sites have restrictions due to Iranian missiles & safety issues, but private access on Palm Sunday was reasonable & issue now resolved.”
All safety and precautionary instructions in the Old City are a direct result of Iranian missile fire. As is known, the Iranian regime has fired on the Old City on multiple occasions, striking sites in the vicinity of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the… pic.twitter.com/rZpleVHpL8
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) March 29, 2026
In response to the overwhelming criticism of the police's decision, which followed weeks of social media being flooded with erroneous claims that Israel is banning Christian and Muslim worship while allowing Jewish worship, the Israeli Foreign Ministry explained that the restrictions were only due to the security situation amid the Iran war.
“All safety and precautionary instructions in the Old City are a direct result of Iranian missile fire. As is known, the Iranian regime has fired on the Old City on multiple occasions, striking sites in the vicinity of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Western Wall,” the Foreign Ministry stressed.
“In light of this, and in order to protect the lives of worshippers of all faiths, precautionary instructions have been issued for all holy sites of all religions, and mass gatherings are not possible. The concern over a mass-casualty event in the Old City is particularly acute given the area’s density and the difficulty of deploying first responders in such an incident.”
This is the part of the rules that a lot of the reporting is overlooking - places can open for under 50 people only if there is a shelter that can be reached within 90 seconds pic.twitter.com/XAqBjO7OM7
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) March 29, 2026
In addition, Lahav Harkov of Jewish Insider reported that, according to police, unlike the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Al-Aqsa Mosque do not have shelters accessible within 90 seconds, as required by security guidelines.
“The authorities checked after Cardinal Pizzaballa requested to go to the church. (Building shelters for individual structures are the legal responsibility of the owners, while neighborhood shelters are the job of the municipality),” Harkov wrote on 𝕏.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
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