French president condemns Israeli police decision to bar Latin patriarch from Jerusalem church

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday condemned Israel’s decision to prevent the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass, one of the holiest ceremonies on the Christian calendar.

"I condemn this decision by the Israeli police, which adds to the worrying increase in violations of the status of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites," Macron wrote on the US social media platform X.

Voicing his support for the patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Macron also said: "The free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all religions."

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 “compelled to turn back.”

The patriarchate said the incident marked the first time in centuries that church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday -- the first day of Holy Week -- at the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most sacred of Christian sites.