JUNN EARL DAVID
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JUNN EARL DAVID
@EARLFORCE1
Only in silence the word, only in dark the light, only in dying life - The Creation of Éa



Cardinal Pizzaballa was blocked by Israeli police when attempting to enter the closed Holy Sepulchre compound in Jerusalem. Pizzaballa attempted to lead a Palm Sunday procession to uphold centuries-old, uninterrupted tradition. Emmanuel Macron condemned Israel's decision. The US has failed to reach out to fix the shutdown caused by the Iran War. Follow: @AFpost

Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass. This is the first time in centuries that the heads of the Church were barred from celebrating Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Follow: @AFpost




BREAKING: The Israeli police prevented Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, Fr. Francesco Ielpo, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem issued a statement condemning the Israeli police’s actions, calling it a grave precedent and a disregard for the sensibilities of billions of Christians around the world. For the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The statement added that preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos—who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places—constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.





JUST IN: Israeli Police prevented Cardinal Pizzaballa from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre today, as he went to say Mass. @LPJerusalem calls it a “grave precedent” which “constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.” Full statement from @LPJerusalem below —— Joint Press Release The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land Holy City of Jerusalem Palm Sunday, 29 March 2026 This morning, the Israeli Police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Head of the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, together with the Custos of the Holy Land, the Most Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, OFM, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, as they made their way to celebrate the Palm Sunday Mass. The two were stopped en route, while proceeding privately and without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and were compelled to turn back. As a result, and for the first time in centuries, the Heads of the Church were prevented from celebrating the Palm Sunday Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This incident is a grave precedent,and disregard the sensibilities of billions of people around the world who, during this week, look to Jerusalem. The Heads of the Churches have acted with full responsibility and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions: public gatherings were cancelled, attendance was prohibited, and arrangements were made to broadcast the celebrations to hundreds of millions of faithful worldwide, who, during these days of Easter, turn their eyes to Jerusalem and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Preventing the entry of the Cardinal and the Custos, who bear the highest ecclesiastical responsibility for the Catholic Church and the Holy Places, constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure. This hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations, represents an extreme departure from basic principles of reasonableness, freedom of worship, and respect for the Status Quo. The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem and the Custody of the Holy Land express their profound sorrow to the Christian faithful in the Holy Land and throughout the world that prayer on one of the most sacred days of the Christian calendar has thus been prevented.

I have instructed the relevant authorities that Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch, be granted full and immediate access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Over the past several days, Iran has repeatedly targeted the holy sites of all three monotheistic religions in Jerusalem with ballistic missiles. In one strike, missile fragments crashed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. To protect worshippers, Israel asked members of all faiths to temporarily abstain from worshipping at the Christian, Muslim and Jewish holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City. Today, out of special concern for his safety, Cardinal Pizzaballa was asked to refrain from holding mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Even though I understand this concern, as soon as I learned about the incident with Cardinal Pizzaballa, I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes.
















