ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem was prevented by Israeli police from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate a Palm Sunday mass, sparking a wave of condemnation from international leaders.

"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 Patriarchate said in a joint press release statement.

The move shattered centuries of established religious status quo, as "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 continued.

The Patriarchate, which represents Catholics in Israel and Palestine, called the restriction "manifestly unreasonable and grossly disproportionate."

"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 statement scathingly continued.

Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus Christ’s final entry into Jerusalem and marks the beginning of Holy Week, was observed under severe security restrictions this year.

Since the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28, Israeli authorities have prohibited large religious gatherings at synagogues, churches, and mosques, strictly limiting public assemblies to approximately 50 people.

“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,” the joint press release concluded on the matter.

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement addressing the incident, claiming the restrictions were a matter of public safety.

“Today, out of special concern for his safety, Jerusalem police prevented the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pizzaballa, from holding Mass this morning at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,” the statement read. “Again, there was no malicious intent whatsoever, only concern for his safety and that of his party. As a result, Israel has temporarily asked worshippers of all faiths to refrain from visiting holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City for their own protection.”

European outrage

Pope Leo XIV issued a stern warning Sunday against the escalating violence in the region, declaring during his Palm Sunday homily that God "does not listen to the prayer of those who wage war."

Describing the divine as "a God who refuses war," the pontiff expressed deep solidarity with Christians across the region who remain trapped in a devastating conflict and, in many cases, "cannot fully live the rites of these holy days."

In a reflection on the day’s events, His Beatitude the Patriarch noted that Jesus “kisses in silence, not because he has nothing to say, but because he does not want to enter into the logic of verbal violence," the Patriarch wrote. "His silence is a refusal to participate in the game of crushing power; it is a silence that does not feed the cycle of hatred and evil, and does not want to cause harm to anyone."

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni termed the incident "an offense not only to the faithful but to any community that respects religious freedom.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced on X that he has instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Israeli ambassador on Monday to provide "clarifications" on the decision to block Cardinal Pizzaballa from celebrating Palm Sunday.

“I have given instructions to summon the Ambassador of Israel to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tomorrow in order to obtain clarifications on the decision to prevent Cardinal Pizzaballa from celebrating Palm Sunday,” Tajani wrote.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, usually an ardent supporter of Israel and the Netanyahu government, said that the incident was an "unfortunate overreach already having major repercussions around the world," calling it "difficult to understand or justify."

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed criticisms of the Israeli police in a post on X, asserting that the right to worship “for all religions” must be protected in the Holy City.

Offering his "full support" to the Latin Patriarch and the Christians of the Holy Land, Macron condemned the decision to block the Palm Sunday Mass at the Holy Sepulchre, warning that the move "adds to the alarming proliferation of violations of the status quo of Jerusalem’s Holy Sites."

The French leader stressed that the free exercise of worship in Jerusalem must be guaranteed for all faiths.