- The Vatican has summoned the Israeli ambassador to restrict access to Patriarch Pizzaball.
- On March 29, the Israeli authorities prevented the cardinal from entering the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher.
- The Latin Patriarchate recorded the first refusal to enter on Palm Sunday in centuries.
The Vatican summoned Israeli Ambassador Jaron Sideman on Monday and expressed regret over an incident in which Israeli police prevented Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballo from entering the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher to celebrate Mass on Palm Sunday. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Holy See Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations Archbishop Paul Gallagher met with Sideman on Monday and “regrets were expressed and clarifications were provided regarding the incident”.
On Sunday, March 29, the Israeli authorities did not allow Cardinal Pizzaballo and Custos of the Holy Land Francesco Ielpa to enter the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. The planned mass was to be held without the usual procession and crowds of worshipers, which was related to the security measures taken for the war in the Middle East.
Christians consider the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to be the place of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial and resurrection. The Latin Patriarchate said it was the first time in centuries that a Latin patriarch had been denied entry to the site on Palm Sunday.
On Monday, the patriarch’s office announced that the matter had been “addressed and resolved” and thanked Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog for his intervention. Israel Police said it had agreed a “joint framework” with the patriarchate for Easter ceremonies, and the Consecration of the Fire ceremony on Holy Saturday is to take place in a limited format.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed on Monday that the Latin Patriarch will receive “full and immediate access” to the holy site. He clarified that Israeli police asked the patriarch on Sunday not to enter the temple out of concern for his safety, as Iran repeatedly shelled the holy sites in Jerusalem.
She reacted critically to the incident, e.g. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and French President Emmanuel Macron he emphasized that freedom of religious ceremonies in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions. The White House also expressed concern.
