Holy Land: Cardinal Pizzaballa Says Palm Sunday Mass Ban in Jerusalem Was a Misunderstanding

(ZENIT News / Jerusalem, 03.29,.2026) – «There were misunderstandings, we didn’t understand each other, and that’s what happened. This has never happened before; it’s a shame,” said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, in an exclusive interview with Tg2000, the TV2000 news program, regarding the decision by the Israeli police to prevent the Cardinal and the Custos of the Holy Land, Monsignor Francesco Yalpo, from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, when they were on their way to celebrate Palm Sunday Mass on March 29.

⛪️Cardenal Pizzaballa explica lo sucedido la mañana del domigo 29 de abril, Domingo de Ramos, al impedírsele el ingresó a Basílica del Santo Sepulcro de Jerusalén

En declaraciones a @tv2000it explica el cardenal:

«Es cierto que la policía había dicho que las órdenes del mando… pic.twitter.com/l8XgtuF07p

— P. Jorge Enrique Mújica, LC (@web_pastor) March 29, 2026

«It is true that the police had said that orders from the internal command prohibited any kind of gathering in places without shelter. However, we had not requested anything public, only a brief private ceremony to preserve the idea of ​​celebrating at the Holy Sepulchre,» explained Cardinal Pizzaballa.

«There were no confrontations; everything unfolded with great courtesy. I don’t want to force things; we want to take advantage of this situation to clarify better in the coming days what to do, respecting everyone’s safety, but also the right to prayer,» Cardinal Pizzaballa told TV2000.

התקשרתי לפטריארך הלטיני של ירושלים, הקרדינל פיירבטיסטה פיצבאלה, והבעתי את צערי העמוק על האירוע שהתרחש הבוקר בעיר העתיקה בירושלים, במהלכו נמנע מהקרדינל פיצבאלה ושומר ארץ הקודש, האב פרנצ׳סקו ילפו, להיכנס לכנסיית הקבר לתפילה בשל המצב הביטחוני המתמשך.

ציינתי כי התקרית המצערת נבעה…

— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) March 29, 2026

«The events of this morning are important, but we must consider the broader context. There are people in a much worse situation than ours who cannot celebrate for very different reasons. Once again, we will celebrate a sober Easter,» he continued.

Finally, Cardinal Pizzaballa commented on Netanyahu’s statement that «Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan»: «For us, victory lies in the cross, and that is what we want to affirm. The cross is not only suffering and death; it is someone who gives their life out of love.»

My statement re Prohibiting the Latin Patriarch of entering Church of Holy Sepulcher on Palm Sunday:
While all Holy sites in the Old City are closed due to safety concerns for mass gatherings including the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Al Aqsa Mosque, the action…

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) March 29, 2026

The event resulted in a call from the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, to Cardinal Pizzaballa: «I called the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and expressed my profound regret for the incident that occurred this morning in the Old City of Jerusalem, during which Cardinal Pizzaballa and the Custos of the Holy Land, Father Francesco Yalpo, were unable to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to pray due to the prevailing security situation. Note that the regrettable incident was due to security considerations, including the threat of missile attacks by the Iranian terrorist regime against the civilian population in Israel, and in the context of incidents in recent days in which Iranian missiles fell in the area of ​​the Old City of Jerusalem,» the Israeli President wrote on social media. He added: «I made clear the unwavering commitment of the State of Israel to religious freedom for all confessions and people of different religions, as well as with the maintenance of the status quo in the holy sites of Jerusalem. I also emphasized the need for future coordination with the Latin Patriarch.»

My statement re Prohibiting the Latin Patriarch of entering Church of Holy Sepulcher on Palm Sunday:
While all Holy sites in the Old City are closed due to safety concerns for mass gatherings including the Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher and Al Aqsa Mosque, the action…

— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) March 29, 2026

For his part, the United States Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, wrote on his social media: «While all the holy sites in the Old City remain closed for security reasons due to the large gatherings, including the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the decision made today by the Israeli National Police to prevent the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and three other priests from entering the Church to impart a blessing on Palm Sunday constitutes an unfortunate overreach that is already having significant repercussions worldwide.»

Huckabee added: «The Home Front Command guidelines restrict gatherings to 50 people or fewer. The four representatives of the Catholic Church were well below this limit. Statements from the Israeli Government indicate that Cardinal Pizzaballa’s ban from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulcher was taken for security reasons, but churches, synagogues, and mosques in Jerusalem comply with the restriction of 50 people or fewer. It is difficult to understand or justify preventing the Patriarch from entering the Church on Palm Sunday for a private ceremony. Israel has indicated that it will cooperate with the Patriarch to find a safe way to conduct Holy Week activities.»

Under Home Front Command directives, life-saving restrictions apply to all holy sites in the Old City—for Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike.

The Old City has been targeted by murderous missiles multiple times this month, alongside constant fire on residential areas. These… pic.twitter.com/5crKOu9Pzd

— Israel Police (@israelpolice) March 29, 2026