Trending Now - Outcry as Israeli Police Restrict Access to Jerusalem's Holy Sites on Palm Sunday

WHO:

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee described the police action as “an unfortunate overreach” and stated it was difficult to understand or justify.

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the police's actions, calling the incident "an offence not only to the faithful but to any community that respects religious freedom."

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated he had summoned Israel's ambassador to discuss the incident, which he called "unacceptable."

NBC News - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated Mass in St. Savior’s Monastery instead of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

AP News - Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, stated, “It’s a very, very sacred day for Christians and in our opinion there was no justification for such a decision or such an action.”

AP News - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the police action, stating it “constitutes an offense not only against believers but against every community that recognizes religious freedom.”

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate stated that the police decision impeded freedom of worship and the status quo in Jerusalem.

NBC News - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated Mass in St. Savior’s Monastery instead of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

AP News - Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, stated that the church had requested permission for a few religious leaders to enter for a private celebration on Palm Sunday.

AP News - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo, head of the Custos in the Holy Land, were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

AP News - U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee described the police action as “an unfortunate overreach” and stated it was difficult to understand or justify.

NBC News - Farid Jubran, spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, stated, “It’s a very, very sacred day for Christians and in our opinion there was no justification for such a decision or such an action.”

AP News - Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; Francesco Ielpo, head of the Custos in the Holy Land; U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee; French President Emmanuel Macron; Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni; Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani; Pope Leo XIV.

WHAT:

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - The Latin Patriarchate stated that preventing the entry of church leaders "constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure" and called the police decision "hasty and fundamentally flawed."

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - The traditional Palm Sunday procession was canceled by the Latin Patriarchate due to safety concerns.

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate stated that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been hosting Masses that aren’t open to the public since the Iran war began on February 28th, 2026.

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate called the police decision “a hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations.”

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate stated that the decision to bar access to the church “constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure” and called it a “grave precedent.”

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate stated that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been hosting Masses that aren’t open to the public since the Iran war began on February 28th, 2026.

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate called the police decision “a hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations.”

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate stated that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre had been hosting Masses that aren’t open to the public since the Iran war began on February 28th, 2026.

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate called the police decision “a hasty and fundamentally flawed decision, tainted by improper considerations.”

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate stated that the police decision to bar access to the church “constitutes a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure” and called it a “grave precedent.”

AP News - Israeli police indicated that the Old City and holy sites do not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, posing a risk to human life in case of a mass casualty incident.

CBS News - The Latin Patriarchate had already canceled the traditional Palm Sunday procession due to safety concerns.

AP News - Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate a private Palm Sunday Mass for the first time in centuries.

AP News - The Latin Patriarchate called the police decision “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure.”

NBC News - The traditional Palm Sunday procession was canceled due to safety concerns.

CBS News - The police action barred Pizzaballa and Ielpo from entering the church, which is traditionally believed to be the site of Jesus' burial and resurrection.

WHERE:

AP News - Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem; Mount of Olives, Jerusalem; St. Savior’s Monastery, Jerusalem; Western Wall, Jerusalem; Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem.

WHEN:

AP News - The incident occurred on Palm Sunday, March 29th, 2026.

AP News - The police notified church authorities on Saturday, March 28th, 2026, that no Mass could take place due to safety considerations.

AP News - The traditional Palm Sunday procession was canceled on March 22nd, 2026.

AP News - The police notified church authorities on Saturday, March 28th, 2026, that no Mass could take place due to safety considerations.

AP News - The traditional Palm Sunday procession was canceled on March 22nd, 2026.

AP News - The incident occurred on Palm Sunday, March 29th, 2026.

AP News - The Iran war began on February 28th, 2026.

WHY:

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - Israeli police cited safety concerns due to the ongoing war with Iran and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites.

AP News - Israeli police cited safety concerns due to the ongoing war with Iran and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites.

AP News - Israeli police cited safety concerns due to the ongoing Iran war and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites.

Al Jazeera - Israeli police cited safety concerns amid the ongoing war with Iran, stating that holy sites in Jerusalem were closed due to the risk of missile attacks.

AP News - Israeli police cited safety concerns due to the ongoing Iran war and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites.

CBS News - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated there was no "malicious intent" behind the police action, emphasizing concern for safety.

HOW:

[11:13 AM EDT] - CBS News - Israeli police stated that the Old City and holy sites do not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, posing a risk to human life in case of a mass casualty incident.

AP News - Israeli police stated that the Old City and holy sites do not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, posing a risk to human life in case of a mass casualty incident.

AP News - Israeli police stated that all holy sites in Jerusalem were closed due to safety concerns amid the ongoing war with Iran.

Fox News - Israeli police indicated that the Old City and holy sites do not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, posing a risk to human life in case of a mass casualty incident.

AP News - Israeli police notified church authorities on Saturday, March 28th, 2026, that no Mass could take place due to safety considerations.

AP News - The police stated that the Old City and holy sites do not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, posing a risk to human life in case of a mass casualty incident.

(UPDATED March 31, 2026 09:17 UTC)

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Father Francesco Ielpo were prevented from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, prompting criticism from U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, who called the police action “an unfortunate overreach.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the incident as "an offence not only to the faithful but to any community that respects religious freedom," while the Latin Patriarchate described the police decision as "hasty and fundamentally flawed," leading to the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday procession due to safety concerns. Israeli police cited ongoing safety issues related to the war with Iran and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites, stating that the Old City does not allow access for large emergency vehicles, which poses a risk to human life in case of a mass casualty incident.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 23:06 UTC)

On Palm on Sunday, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated Mass at St. Savior’s Monastery instead of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, following a police decision to bar access to the church due to safety concerns amid the ongoing war with Iran. Farid Jubran, a spokesperson for the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, expressed strong disapproval of this decision, calling it a "hasty and fundamentally flawed" action that undermines religious freedom. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also criticized the police action, stating it offends not only believers but all communities that value religious liberty.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 21:10 UTC)

The Latin Patriarchate has condemned a recent police decision to bar access to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, claiming it impedes freedom of worship and sets a troubling precedent. On Saturday, on Saturday, police informed church authorities that no Mass could take place due to safety concerns related to the ongoing war with Iran, which they argue poses a risk of missile attacks on holy sites. In response, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated Mass at St. Savior’s Monastery instead, as the church had been hosting private Masses since the conflict began February 28th.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 19:17 UTC)

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa celebrated Mass in St. Savior’s Monastery instead of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem reported that the church has been hosting private Masses since the Iran war began February 28th. The traditional Palm Sunday procession was canceled March 22nd, after Israeli police cited safety concerns due to the ongoing conflict and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites. The Latin Patriarchate criticized the police's decision as hasty and fundamentally flawed, noting that the Old City’s layout prevents access for large emergency vehicles, which could endanger lives in the event of a mass casualty incident.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 17:15 UTC)

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Reverend Fr. Francesco Ielpo were barred from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a decision that U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee described as “an unfortunate overreach.” The Latin Patriarchate condemned the police action as a “manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” while Israeli police cited safety concerns stemming from the ongoing war with Iran and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites. On Saturday, on Saturday, police notified church authorities that no Mass could take place due to these safety considerations, leading to the closure of all holy sites in Jerusalem.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 15:17 UTC)

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem has condemned the Israeli police's decision to bar access to holy sites, calling it a "grave precedent" and expressing that there was no justification for such an action on this sacred day for Christians. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also criticized the police's measures, stating they offend not only believers but all communities that value religious freedom. This decision comes after the traditional Palm Sunday procession was canceled March 22nd due to safety concerns amid the ongoing war with Iran, with police citing risks of missile attacks and the inability of emergency vehicles to access the Old City.

(UPDATED March 30, 2026 13:18 UTC)

On Palm on Sunday, Israeli police prevented Catholic leaders, including Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and Francesco Ielpo, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate a private Mass for the first time in centuries. The Latin Patriarchate condemned the police decision as “a manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate measure,” while the traditional Palm Sunday procession was also canceled due to safety concerns. Israeli authorities cited the ongoing Iran war and the risk of missile attacks on holy sites as reasons for their actions, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserting there was no "malicious intent" behind the police's decision. Church authorities were notified on Saturday that no Mass could take place, as the Old City and its holy sites do not allow access for large emergency vehicles, raising concerns about potential mass casualty incidents. This incident has drawn attention from various leaders, including U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee and French President Emmanuel Macron, highlighting the delicate situation in Jerusalem.