ISTANBUL

Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass.

In a statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said Pizzaballa, along with the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Ielpo, was stopped while heading privately to the church and “was compelled to turn back.”

The Patriarchate said the incident marked the first time in centuries that church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the Holy Sepulchre, one of the holiest Christian sites.

It described the incident as a “grave precedent” that “disregards the sensitivities of billions” of Christians worldwide, particularly during Holy Week, when attention is focused on Jerusalem.

The statement added that church leaders had complied with all restrictions imposed by Israel since the start of the war with Iran, including canceling public gatherings and arranging for services to be broadcast globally.

It said preventing the entry of senior church figures “constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” warning that the decision represents a departure from principles of freedom of worship and respect for the longstanding status quo governing holy sites.

The Patriarchate expressed “profound sorrow” to Christians in Jerusalem and worldwide over the disruption of prayers on one of the most sacred days in the Christian calendar.