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AMMAN — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Israeli occupation authorities for preventing the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from accessing the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday mass.
The ministry described the move, in a statement on Sunday, as a “flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law, as well as a breach of the longstanding legal and historical status quo in Jerusalem.”
It also said the action infringes on the right to unrestricted access to places of worship.
Ministry Spokesperson Fouad Majali reiterated Jordan’s firm rejection of the “illegal and restrictive measures” targeting Christians, including preventing them from freely reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to perform religious rites.
He stressed the need to respect the established legal and historical status quo governing Jerusalem and its holy sites, adding that Israel, as an occupying power, holds no sovereignty over the city.
He called for an “immediate” halt to all measures that obstruct worshippers’ access to their places of worship.
Majali also condemned the continued closure of the gates of the Al Aqsa Mosque/ Al Haram Al Sharif, to worshippers, describing it as a serious violation of international law and Israel’s obligations as an occupying power.
He urged the international community to uphold its legal and moral responsibilities by pressuring Israel to end violations against Islamic and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, respect their historical and legal status, and support the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent and sovereign state based on a two-state solution.
Israeli police prevented the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Palm Sunday mass, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement carried by AFP.
"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," a statement from the Patriarchate said.
It said the two were stopped while proceeding privately without any characteristics of a procession or ceremonial act, and had 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," the statement said.
"This incident is a grave precedent and disregards the sensibilities of billions of people around the world, who during this week, look to Jerusalem."
Palm Sunday, which opens Holy Week for Christians, marks Christ's final entry into Jerusalem, days before his crucifixion and resurrection, according to the Gospels.
Since US-Israeli strikes on Iran sparked the Middle East war on February 28, Israeli authorities have banned large gatherings, including at synagogues, churches and mosques.
Public gatherings are limited to around 50 people.
Israeli police on Sunday said all holy sites in Jerusalem were closed since the start of the war.
"The Patriarch's request was reviewed yesterday, and it was clarified that it could not be approved" because of the restrictions, it said in a statement to AFP.
"The Old City and the holy sites constitute a complex area that does not allow access for large emergency and rescue vehicles, which significantly challenges response capabilities and poses a real risk to human life in the event of a mass casualty incident," the force said.
Palm Sunday processions cancelled
The Latin Patriarchate had already announced it had cancelled the traditional Palm Sunday procession that normally runs from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem and draws thousands of worshippers each year.
"The heads of churches have acted with full responsibility and, since the outset of the war, have complied with all imposed restrictions," the Patriarchate said.
"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," it said.
"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."
'Series of violations ' -
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised the Israeli police action, saying the incident was "an offence not only to the faithful but to any community that respects religious freedom".
Pope Leo XIV, speaking after the Angelus prayer in Rome on Sunday, paid tribute to "the Christians of the Middle East, who suffer the consequences of a terrible conflict and in many cases cannot fully live the rites of these holy days".
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the police action.
Their action "adds to a worrying series of violations of the status of holy places in Jerusalem", he said on X.
The Jordanian foreign ministry also slammed what it said was a "flagrant violation" and urged an end to measures restricting worshippers' access to places of worship.
In the Old City of Jerusalem, shops were shuttered and streets lay largely deserted, as Christian worshippers expressed sorrow over the cancellation of the traditional Palm Sunday processions.
Simon Hosh, 25, a resident of the Old City, said: "This year because of the war we cannot celebrate in the streets like always.
"So, this year we just celebrate in the church. It's bad."
