Israel Bars Holy Site Entry for Church Leaders, Reverses

Israeli police barred Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Francesco Ielpo, the Custos of the Holy Land, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, March 29, preventing a private Mass at Christianity's holiest site amid wartime security restrictions in Jerusalem's Old City. The decision, which church officials described as unprecedented in centuries, drew swift international condemnation before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reversed it within hours, granting the leaders access.

The incident occurred as the two church figures approached the church privately, without a procession or public gathering, to commemorate Jesus Christ's entry into Jerusalem. According to a joint statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land, the blockage constituted a "manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure" that disregarded the Status Quo, a longstanding agreement governing access to holy sites. Israeli authorities cited security concerns stemming from the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, known as Operation Roaring Lion, which began on February 28. Officials noted...