FLASH NEWS
For the first time in centuries, the Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem was denied entry to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday.
2026-03-29 14:05:29 / BOTA
Jerusalem police barred Catholic religious leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for the Palm Sunday service.
"It is the first time in centuries that Church priests have been prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified," the Patriarchate said in a statement.
According to them, preventing the entry of the Cardinal and Costus, who hold the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Land, constitutes an absurd and highly disproportionate measure.
The Holy Sepulcher, the Western Wall, and the Al-Aqsa Mosque remain closed to the public since late February 2026 due to the war and fears of rocket attacks in the Old City.
In its announcement, the Patriarchate notes that the heads of the Churches acted with full responsibility and, from the beginning of the war, adhered to all the restrictions imposed.
According to them, public gatherings were canceled, participation was prohibited, and measures were taken to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of believers around the world, who, during the days of Easter, turn their gaze towards Jerusalem and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
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