March 30, 2026 | 12:56 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Several leaders in Europe with majority Catholic populations have voiced concerns, and in some cases condemnation, after Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa is the archbishop with Catholic jurisdiction throughout Israel and the Palestinian territories.
A statement issued by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Sunday, as cited by Euroactiv, stated that preventing Pizzaballa from entering the church "constitutes an offense not only to believers, but to every community that recognizes religious freedom."
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also described the action as "unacceptable" and said he had instructed the Foreign Ministry "to summon the Israeli ambassador tomorrow to seek clarification regarding the decision."
"I condemn this decision by the Israeli police, which adds to the worrying increase in violations of the status of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites," wrote French President Emmanuel Macron on the US social media platform X, as reported by Anadolu.
He called for "freedom of worship" in Jerusalem to be guaranteed "for all religions."
"From the Government of Spain, we condemn this unjustified attack on religious freedom and demand that Israel respect the diversity of beliefs and international law. Because without tolerance, coexistence is impossible," reiterated Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in X.
The Portuguese Foreign Ministry said the Israeli authorities' decision "deserves strong condemnation," urging them "to guarantee and uphold religious freedom and worship."
In X, Polish President Karol Nawrocki "strongly" opposed the action and expressed support for Cardinal Pizzaballa.
"The actions of the Israeli police, which I condemn, are an expression of disrespect for Christian tradition and culture," he emphasized.
Maltese Foreign Minister Ian Borg also expressed deep concerns about the Israeli police's decision, stating, "Access to Christianity’s holiest site, especially for private Holy Week liturgy, must be respected. I urge Israeli authorities to reconsider and facilitate worship."
In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said that Pizzaballa, along with the custodian of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, were stopped as they tried to go to the church privately and were "forced to turn back."
The Patriarchate stated that the incident marked the first time in several centuries that church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest Christian sites.
The Latin Patriarchate had previously announced the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession, which usually goes from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem and attracts thousands of believers annually.
Until last Friday, Israeli authorities also continued to prohibit Muslims from performing the Eid al-Fitr and Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest mosque in Islam, for five consecutive weeks, by closing the site since late February under emergency measures related to the war with Iran.
Read: Israeli Police Block Catholic Leaders from Palm Sunday Mass
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