Netanyahu Restores Access for Jerusalem’s Latin Patriarch to the Holy Sepulchre

Overview

• Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Franciscan custodian Francesco Ielpo, who were turned back by police Sunday, could not reach the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to lead Palm Sunday Mass.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Monday he ordered “full and immediate” access for the patriarch, citing security concerns after recent Iranian missile debris fell near Old City holy sites.
• Israeli rules tied to the late‑February war with Iran have capped public gatherings at about 50 people and kept key Old City shrines closed, and church leaders had already canceled the Mount of Olives procession.
• The block drew swift pushback from allies, with France’s Emmanuel Macron and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni condemning the decision and Jordan protesting a breach of the Jerusalem holy sites status quo.
• In Syria, Catholic churches in Damascus scaled back Palm Sunday to indoor services after unrest in the Christian town of Souqaylabiya, reflecting wider caution among vulnerable communities.