Ruptly
"Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa held a press conference on Tuesday following a rare standoff with Israeli authorities that saw him barred from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday Mass. The restriction was imposed by Israel’s Home Front Command after missile strikes landed near religious sites, limiting gatherings to no more than 50 people amid the escalating regional conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran. Pizzaballa described Palm Sunday as one of the "highest moments of the liturgical year”, arguing that the celebration should have proceeded in some form to preserve its meaning. "So the idea was that community people cannot come because of the restrictions that we understand. We told them not to come, but to save the principle, together with two or three others, keep the principle of the celebration for the church," he said. He confirmed that Holy Week and Easter rites would continue, but in a reduced format under strict attendance limits. "The Holy Sepulchre, because of the restrictions due to the war, remained closed. But the celebration inside will be allowed for very few people during all the days of Easter, including the Sunday of Easter," he added. On Palm Sunday, Israeli police blocked Pizzaballa and Francesco Ielpo, the Custos of the Holy Land, from entering the church, despite plans for a private visit without a public procession. The incident prompted international condemnation. Italy’s prime minister described it as an 'offence to all believers', while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called it a 'violation of religious freedom'. Several Arab countries also denounced the move, with the Palestinian Foreign Ministry describing it as a 'crime'. Pizzaballa later characterised the episode as a 'misunderstanding' caused by confusion rather than deliberate confrontation, while stressing that religious freedom remains a 'supreme human value' that must be upheld even during conflict."
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