The failure of Israeli police to allow the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday has sent shockwaves throughout Christian communities around the world.
The Church is Christianity’s holiest site and a major pilgrimage site for millions of Christians every year. Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, it is home to the site of Jesus’s crucifixion, where he was prepared for burial, and the shrine holding his tomb.
Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus entered Jerusalem as king and savior. Riding on a donkey to signify peace, people welcomed him by waving palm branches. This ushered in the final week of Jesus’ life, ending in his betrayal and crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. It is the holiest week in Christianity, and this Church in Jerusalem is where it all happened.
Francesco lelpo, the official Guardian of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, was also prevented from entering, along with two other priests.
“(F)or 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,” a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem read.
Israeli officials say that this was for their own safety due to the ongoing war against Iran. Prime Minister Netanyahu posted to X, claiming that “missile fragments crashed meters from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.”
However, there was little understanding from any corner. Even ardent Zionist Mike Huckabee, who serves as U.S. ambassador to Israel, called out Israel on X for blocking one of Christianity’s holiest spots on one of its holiest of days, calling the move “an unfortunate overreach already having major repercussions around the world.”
He also took issue with the Israeli government’s justification. “Home Front Command Guidelines restrict any gatherings to 50 people or less. The 4 representatives of the Catholic Church were well below that restriction. Statements from the Gov’t of Israel indicate the action to prohibit Cardinal Pizzaballa entry to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher were for safety reasons, but churches, synagogues, and mosques throughout Jerusalem have met with the restrictions of 50 or less,” he wrote.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a long-time defender of the Christian faith, including persecuted communities outside of Hungary, had this to say: “This is a painful Palm Sunday. The authorities in Jerusalem have prevented the Latin Patriarch from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is unacceptable for us as Christians, even taking into account the wartime situation and general security measures. We must not allow war to exclude followers of any religion from our shared holy city, Jerusalem.”
Israel quickly backtracked and assured the Church, and all Christians, that Holy Week would no longer be obstructed. “I instructed the authorities to enable the Patriarch to hold services as he wishes,” he wrote, a move applauded by Huckabee.
Former Prime Minister of Israel Yair Lapid took the opportunity to lash out at Netanyahu, posting on X that “nothing damages our international standing as much as what this government is doing.”
The post Orbán: Israel’s blocking of Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday is ‘unacceptable,’ US ambassador says it is ‘unfortunate overreach’ appeared first on Remix News.
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