Overview
- Police in Jerusalem stopped Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Sunday, citing Home Front Command rules that close Old City holy sites and bar gatherings over 50 during missile threats.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later ordered full and immediate access for the patriarch, and President Isaac Herzog expressed regret, saying the stop aimed to protect him after Iranian‑linked missile fragments recently fell near the site.
- A joint statement Monday from the Latin Patriarchate and the Custody of the Holy Land said they agreed with Israeli police on symbolic, limited Holy Week rites for clergy, with services livestreamed while the public cap and site closures remain.
- The Vatican voiced regret after Cardinal Pietro Parolin met Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See, and both sides noted the arrangement that restores clergy entry under current security restrictions.
- Foreign ministries from Jordan, Indonesia, Qatar, Egypt and the UAE condemned the wider closures as violating the longstanding status quo over Jerusalem’s holy places, signaling ongoing diplomatic pressure even as Holy Week liturgies proceed in reduced form.