I actually don't think anyone was behind the decision -- which is exactly the problem. Based on the reporting, it seems as though this was a decision made by police officers at the site, who were enforcing the safety directives in an undiscerning and ham-fisted manner. There *should* have been an instruction from their higher-ups to allow Cardinal Pizzaballa and his small entourage to enter the church and celebrate the mass in a safe and modest manner, as they had apparently expressed a willingness to do. That there doesn't seem to have been such an instruction, and that this decision was left to officers in the field, is a major unforced error and an embarrassing demonstration of stunning short-sightedness that is already causing tremendous damage. Additionally, any officers posted at or around holy sites of tremendous significance to billions of believers around the world should have the training and good judgement to navigate sensitive situations and know when to involve their superiors, as necessary. That that appears not to have happened here is yet another major failure that must be investigated and rectified.
